A Threat Close to Home
by KYL-T7
Summary: Following the defeat of Nemesis, a new generation arises ... as does an ancient evil in the unlikeliest of forms. With the World Championships underway, and suspicion circulating like a deadly poison, how will the Japanese team fare as pieces of a broken puzzle slide into place? ... From smoke and flames, the claws emerged; through the lion's paws rose the scourge ...
1. Chapter 1

Following the defeat of the Black Sun, many of the Legendary Bladers went their separate ways, with the exception of a select few. Unlike the majority of his comrades, Tsubasa Otori had remained in Japan, content to study under Ryo's guidance and instruction until he was old enough to become the new Director of the WBBA.

As they grew older, Kyoya Tategami and Hikaru Hasama's relationship had slowly blossomed into romance; together, they went on to manage, and oversee the company the Leone wielder had inherited from his father: TC.

Benkei Hanawa had proceeded to pursue his passion, which was second to Beyblade … With the support and financial help of his "hero," he was able to open his own chain of restaurants, which he had affectionately named "Bull Burger," in honour of his partner, Dark Bull. He had even gone as far as naming a special dish after Kyoya's signature move.

As for Kenta Yumiya, he constantly divided himself between working at the WBBA, and training with Flash Sagittario. Ever since Nemesis's defeat, the new Legendary Blader of Summer had vowed that he would continue to grow stronger until he felt that he could completely control and master the power which had been bestowed upon him by the Dragon Emperor, Ryuga.

And finally, after years of friendship, and camaraderie, Gingka Hagane and Madoka Amano confessed the affection they had shared for one another since the day they met. In the years that would soon follow, they would go on to become the proud parents of a tiny, baby girl: Anashi Hagane.

†††

"Go, Fireblaze! Burning Fire Strike," a young blader yelled over the roar of the crowd. In a split second, the stadium was filled with flames, and the volcanic beat of wings could be heard by every audience member, as a magnificent phoenix made a straight nosedive for the Beyblade below it: Aries 145D.

"N-no … It's impossible. I-I lost … to a girl?" The other blader said as he fell to his knees, unable to come to grips with the outcome of the battle.

"There you have it, folks!" The announcer exclaimed happily. "The last regular member for the Japanese team has been decided; the winners are Burn Fireblaze and Anashi Hagane!"

Calling her bey back to her hand, Anashi pocketed Fireblaze and made her way over to the stands where the Director, her friends, and her parents currently stood, with smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations, Anashi." The Director said, offering her praise, as well as a handshake.

"Thank you, Mr. Otori," she replied in a sweet, bell-like voice.

Watching as they raced down from the stands, Anashi soon found herself enveloped in a group hug, courtesy of her best friends: Miyako Otori, Rika Yumiya, and Kotomi Hanawa (the daughters of Tsubasa, Kenta, and Benkei, respectively).

Miyako was practically the spitting image of her father – she had hypnotizing, golden eyes, and voluminous silver hair. She moved with grace, and elegance, similarly to a swan, however, her attacks were anything but gentle. Due to her father's busy schedule, Eagle had been passed down to her, with a few modifications.

As for Rika, she normally kept her green hair styled in a simple pixie cut, claiming that it was easier to maintain. She had also inherited her father's impossibly dark, chocolate coloured eyes, which were always teeming with life, and joy.

That left Kotomi. Unlike her father, Kotomi had long, lavender hair, and had exceptional talent in the culinary department. While Benkei's "cooking" was limited to hamburgers, Kotomi could make just about anything if left to her own devices.

"That was one intense battle," Miyako said with a smirk, as she patted Anashi on the back.

"Indeed, it was; you fought well," a new voice said, causing Anashi and the others to look up in surprise. Standing a few feet away from the girls was Hikaru Tategami, and her husband.

Similarly to her teenage years, Hikaru still sported a dark, blue mini skirt and blazer, along with her trusty iPad. Her husband, however, had changed dramatically. Instead of his usual wardrobe – which, more times than not, revealed his abdominal muscles – he now sported a black suit, a starched white shirt, and a powder-blue silk tie to match his royal blue eyes, which commanded a large array of attention. His hunter green hair also had grown longer, noticeably, and now hung freely around his broad shoulders.

"It's been a while, Kyoya. You look good; have you been working out," Gingka spoke up, breaking the silence. Unfortunately, his last statement earned him a death glare from the wild King of the Beasts.

Rolling her eyes, Hikaru redirected her attention to the four teenage girls standing before her.

"So this is the team that will represent Japan at the World Championships, huh?"

"That's right!" Kotomi spoke up, "We're gonna take on the world!"

"Is that so? It would appear, however, that you are missing something," Kyoya said, his deep, smoky voice causing Kotomi to fall silent.

"What are you talking about?"

"That's what I would like to know. We have everything we need right here," Miyako stated, while motioning to her friends.

"Actually … what he just said is true," Tsubasa spoke up, causing his daughter, and her friends to look up at him in astonishment. "In previous years, a team had to meet certain requirements prior to entering the World Championships. Each team had to consist of at least one athletic supporter, one mechanic, a sub member, an advanced guard, a second-in-command, and a commander."

"So what's the issue?"

"Over time, things have changed. The WBBA has agreed to oversee, and handle all issues, or repairs, regarding the Beyblades, themselves, in order to ensure that illegal upgrades are not added before a match. That said, it will not be necessary for a team to provide their own mechanic, and we have also eliminated the positions of a second-in-command, and an advanced guard."

"Why?" Miyako asked, still unsure if the conversation was headed south or not.

"We removed those positions, with the exception of the commander, because most members on a team hardly care about what position they hold, so long as they get to battle. On your registration sheet, none of you wanted the position of the sub member, or the commander."

Turning to her friends, Miyako demanded to know what position each of them had signed up for.

"I competed to become a regular member." Kotomi spoke up.

"I was originally going to be the mechanic," Rika said, "but I guess I'll have to become a regular, instead."

"I didn't want to be a sub member, but I didn't want to be the commander, either," Anashi said, while focusing her gaze on her feet. As the commander, the individual would also be responsible for acting as the team's coach, something Anashi could never picture herself doing.

Frowning, Miyako considered all of the information that had been shared with her. They still needed at least three bladers who would definitely be competing as regulars, a sub member, a manager, and a commander.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her teammates.

"Are any of you willing to become the manager …?"

"… I … I suppose I could do it," Rika said softly. She was still highly inexperienced, which was why she had wanted to become the team's mechanic in the first place. If she took the position of the manager, she could still be a vital part of the team, without having to be involved in all of the battles.

"And … is anyone willing to become the sub member?" Miyako asked hopefully.

Upon hearing this, both Kotomi and Anashi's eyes turned to the ground. Neither of them wanted the position. The same could be said for Miyako. All three of them had no desire to give up their ability to battle in the World Championships.

"If I may, I might just have a solution to your problem," Hikaru said.

"Are you going to sign up," Miyako asked in disbelief. "That would be amazing. It would be so cool to see you in the stadium again, and if you joined we would have the first representative team made up completely of girls!"

Hikaru blinked a few times, not quite believing what she had just heard. As for Tsubasa, he already had a rough idea regarding where this conversation was headed, and none of the girls would like it.

"Um, no … I will not be signing up," she said despondently. "My days of blading were over a long time ago."

Taking a step closer to his wife, Kyoya draped an arm around her waist, and drew her closer to his side.

"Now, then, follow me."

"Huh," the four girls said simultaneously.

"There's someone I want you all to meet," Hikaru explained.

"And just who would that be?" Miyako asked.

"You're about to find out …" Kyoya said as he took his wife's hand, and led the others to the neighbouring arena at the end of the hall.

Upon entry, the arena was filled with smoke, and audience members were gasping in shock.

The stadium floor looked like hell – as though a war had taken place. One of the bladers was lying on his back, and his bey was lodged firmly into the wall behind him. He looked completely exhausted, and his body was covered by a thin sheen of sweat.

"I-is he gonna be okay?" Rika asked, while subtly shifting behind Kotomi.

"He's not the one you should be worried about …" Kyoya said huskily, his eyes burning with inimical satisfaction.

Confused by the Legendary Blader's words, Rika peered around her larger teammate, and spotted what– or rather who Kyoya was referring to.

Standing opposite of the fallen blader was a young man, with cold, unsettling heliotrope eyes, and a single, ivory fang which protruded from the edge of his mouth. His skin had a soft tan, while retaining an eerie coldness to the point where someone could take him for dead. Wordlessly, he called his bey back to his hand – far too quickly for anyone to see what type of blade he had – and made his way down the stadium stairs. His muscles rolled powerfully beneath his clothes as he moved, until he came to a halt before the Legendary Blader of Spring.

Due to the new proximity, Rika could see that the man's eyes were like that of a soldier – eyes which had seen smoke and bloodshed.

"There you have it, folks. Akio Tanaka has lost, and the winner is Hikoya Tategami!" Blader DJ bellowed, causing everyone to fall silent upon hearing the blader's surname.

"Oh my God …" Kotomi exclaimed. "D-does that m-mean that he's your …"

"That is correct," Kyoya cut in. "My son will be joining you in the World Championships. Because a commander and sub member for Team Japan could not be decided amongst yourselves, Hikoya meets the qualifications to act as and represent both."

Nervously, the girls flicked their gaze to male's pale, powerful features. Self-assurance and control burned in his lilac coloured eyes, and the way he held his shoulders hinted at discipline and authority.

Before any of them could extend a friendly "hello," the other blader from earlier released an enraged growl, and surged forward, his vulpine eyes fixed on the blue haired man. Furious, and humiliated by his defeat, he was prepared to take his anger out on the other male. What he wasn't prepared for was Hikoya's unearthly reflexes.

In one swift movement, he stepped to the side, allowing his former opponent – Akio – to launch himself at thin air … and fall flat on his face.

"Should be more careful; someone could get hurt," Hikoya murmured, his voice laced with dark promises of pain and misery, before he exited the arena.


	2. Chapter 2

Miyako's eyes shifted from warm honey to a burnished gold as she glared at the retreating form of her "commander." Despite the fact that she had not wanted to be registered as the sub, or the commander, she was still upset that a male would be on Team Japan.

Flicking her burning gaze to her father, and Kyoya, she crossed her arms over her chest, before proceeding with her onslaught of thorn laced words.

"How could you guys do this to us!?" She hissed.

"Excuse me?" Tsubasa said, while Kyoya's eyes widened for a millisecond before narrowing belligerently.

"This year, for the first time, Japan's representative team was supposed be made up of girls! Now you, automatically, make him a member– and not just any member, I might add, but the leader!"

Before Kyoya could protest, Kotomi interjected, albeit, somewhat nervously.

"No disrespect, to either of you, but … I have to agree with Miyako on this one. I mean, short of seeing that he emerged as the victor in his battle against Akio, we don't really know anything about Hikoya. We don't even know what type of Beyblade he has; how do we even know that he's fit to be the leader of this team?"

"First and foremost," Kyoya growled, addressing the first issue, "while Hikoya is the commander of this team, he is also the sub member – in other words, he will not be battling on a regular basis. Especially if you, and the rest of your teammates, manage to win two matches in a row and advance to the next round."

"But–"

"And," Tsubasa cut in, his voice drowning out his daughter's objection, "he will also be acting as a form of supervision."

"What?" All of the girls exclaimed at once.

"Recently, the parents of many bladers have made their concerns known to the WBBA, regarding the lack of adult supervision during the World Championships," he explained. "Many of them are uncomfortable with the fact that their children are travelling to foreign countries, and that the only type of supervision comes in the form of WBBA staff members stationed at the tournaments. They said that they would feel better if each of the teams were accompanied by at least one adult."

"That makes sense, I suppose," Gingka spoke up. "I remember, way back when I competed for the first time in the World Championships, how Masamune got separated from us in Russia."

Hikaru nodded her head in agreement, "It's never really been an issue in the past, however, many parents have threatened to pull their kids from the tournaments if we don't rectify this problem. If the WBBA only has a small number of contestants, the World Championships would have to be cancelled this year. That said, Hikoya is the perfect candidate for the job. Because he is nineteen years old, he qualifies as Team Japan's form of adult accompaniment, without raising any suspicion."

"What do you mean by 'suspicion?'" Miyako asked in a low tone.

Sighing softly, Tsubasa took this opportunity to answer his daughter's question.

"After the defeat of Nemesis, the WBBA has been a little shorthanded. Because of that fact, we cannot afford to distribute our staff members so casually – even for an event such as the World Championships. That said, each team has agreed to provide their own form of adult supervision. That was the main reason why we chose Hikoya. We want to show everyone that there really is no need to worry so much, or at least until we have more people at our disposal. So–"

"Let me get this straight," Miyako snapped, her temper flaring. "You chose him to demonstrate that we're capable of handling things on our own, but … in the event that something bad does happen, the WBBA's tail is covered, so to speak? Is that what you're telling me?"

_She didn't have to make it sound so awful …_ Tsubasa thought inwardly as a small frown graced his features.

Taking her father's silence as confirmation, Miyako stormed out of the stadium.

"Where is she going?" Rika piped up.

"Hopefully, to cool off …" Anashi said softly, hating to see her friend in such a temperamental mood.

As for Kotomi, her face darkened from solemnity.

"Hey, guys … crazy thought, but … we can all agree that Miyako is, more or less, angry at Hikoya, right?"

The remaining girls nodded their heads slowly, unsure where their friend was going with this.

"And we can also agree that both of them have left the arena …?"

As Kotomi's words sunk in, Tsubasa and Hikaru made a beeline for the exit. Naturally, Hikaru's maternal instincts had kicked in, but in Tsubasa's case, he was far more worried about how many charges would be pressed if Miyako did something irresponsible, especially before the beginning of the World Championships. If she did, the media would descend upon the matter like vultures drawn to a diseased animal's corpse.

The Following Day …

Anashi and her parents were the last to arrive at the airport, before Team Japan departed to their first destination: Australia. Upon her arrival, Anashi noted that Kenta had shown up to bid his daughter farewell, while Benkei was declaring, quite proudly with tears in his eyes, that his "little Kotomi" would be victorious in the World Championships. As for Miyako, it appeared as though she and her father were engaged in a rather staid conversation, which, more than likely, was centred on her conduct, especially with regards to their new team captain.

Speaking of which …

Turning her head slightly, Anashi could see that Kyoya and Hikaru were currently speaking to their son in hushed tones. As always, a shade of seriousness touched the trio's features, causing Anashi to wonder what they could possibly be discussing.

Shrugging her shoulders with indifference, Anashi set her luggage aside with everyone else's.

"Be careful, and have lots of fun," Madoka said encouragingly as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I will," she replied, while returning the embrace, just as her father threw his arms around the both of them.

"We'll miss you; be sure to call every once in a while. And don't forget we'll be watching all of your matches and rooting for you," Gingka beamed.

"I'll remember," Anashi promised as she followed after her teammates. As she approached the terminal, she casted one final glance at her parents.

Madoka had tears of joy in her eyes, and Gingka looked as proud as ever.

In Hikoya's case, he adjusted the strap of his black duffel bag, before offering a fraction of a nod to both his mother and father.

"Goodbye, Hikoya. Your father and I love you very much," Hikaru said softly.

Dipping his head in acknowledgement, he turned to follow after his teammates, trailing several yards behind them while his mind savoured its last precious moments of serenity. There were one hundred ninety-four other countries in the entire world, each equipped with their own team of representatives. It would take months before he could return home, a thought which turned his stomach sour.

Up ahead, he could see that all of the girls were waiting for him, including Miyako, who looked as though she would much rather cut off her arm, as opposed to working with him.

"Ready to go, Captain?" She hissed softly, the word twisting on her tongue like a leech.

Narrowing his eyes aggressively, he studied her countenance for a brief moment. He could tell that they would get along famously.

Underneath the indignation, he could see that she was worried – worried that he would cause harm to Team Japan's reputation.

She has no concept of the harm of which I am capable of … he thought darkly.

With the World Championships in mind, they boarded the plane, each consumed by their own thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Heads-up:** this the first periodic chapter. I created it to serve as a flashback, of a sort, and to introduce one of the pairings within this story. Additionally, this chapter will revolve around the pairing of Kyoya Tategami and Hikaru Hasama, therefore, it will contain some mature subject matter, but nothing explicit has been or ever will be written. If you don't feel comfortable reading about this pairing, or simply don't want to hear about it, then I don't recommend reading this chapter of the story.

Everyone watched in absolute reverence, as Pegasus and Leone raced toward the sky, each desperate to gain more altitude than the other. Thanks to the True Lion Gale Force Wall, Leone was able to gain the upper hand, and was succeeded by the use of another special move: The King Lion Reverse Wind Strike.

With one stroke of emerald radiance, the exotic lion flipped, itself, over in mid-air and charged for the winged horse. Baring its glistening, elongated canines, Leone aimed for Pegasus's throat, rooting its fangs deep into the thrashing animal's neck.

Every spectator watched as Leone took Pegasus down with seemingly impossible speed and prowess. As the smoke cleared, a peculiar pair of intelligent blue orbs didn't fail to notice how Gingka's eyes widened and froze when he saw that his winged partner was embedded in the stadium floor.

"I-it's over …" Blader DJ gasped, clearly shaken. "I … I don't believe it. Cosmic Pegasus has been … defeated."

Wordlessly, the victor summoned his partner back to his hand, pocketing the emerald bey. For a moment, his royal blue gaze studied the spectators, as they raced toward the arena floor. Instead of delight, only a haunted look of horror graced their faces. With the exception of Ryo, Hikaru, and Benkei, of course, everyone else made their way towards Gingka, who had just retrieved his fallen partner from the bottom of the stadium.

Bowing his head slightly, the Leone wielder's bangs obscured half of his face, concealing the fact that his countenance had adopted a far more sullen expression. Without so much as a sideways glance in Gingka's general direction, the older male weaved his way through the crowd, just as Blader DJ came to award him with a glorious trophy.

Lifting his head, the leonine blader fixed his royal navy gaze upon the eccentric announcer, his body casually poised for violence. For a fleeting moment, Hikaru and Benkei glanced at one another, concern etched into their eyes. Neither were certain what had triggered it, but Kyoya had just entered a dangerous calm. Despite the fact that Blader DJ had done nothing to offend the vexed teenager, the Leone wielder looked as though he was one second away from knocking the announcer's teeth in.

"Kyoya …?" Hikaru called out softly, as she approached the green haired male. "Are you okay?"

As though the mere sound of her voice had solaced the beast – known as Kyoya's temper – the leonine blader stalked away from the announcer, as well as the trophy. After all, what good was a laurel, even a well-deserved one, when everyone still considered you to be the enemy?

†††

A few hours later, the sun had slid beyond the horizon, the honeyed light fading to oiled gold. After much thought and consideration, Hikaru had finally convinced herself that she should be the one to track down the wild King of the Beasts. Despite what Gingka and the others said, Hikaru knew that they could not be classified as Kyoya's 'friends.' Friendship was mutual, and Kyoya rarely indicated that he ever viewed them as anything more than annoying adversaries.

That said, she was not a friend, much less an enemy. She was simply the concerned assistant of Ryo Hagane, Director of the WBBA.

Heading to her apartment, she quickly freshened up, slipping into a comfortable white sundress, along with a short denim jacket. Applying a thin sheen of lip gloss, she took a final look at herself in the mirror and felt a strange twist within her abdomen. Her outfit was a far cry from her normal WBBA uniform – more light and feminine, she supposed – and it caused a question to arise: did she really want to look this good for Kyoya?

"You can do this …" she said aloud, her words falling upon her own ears. "He's just a guy."

Making her way to her nightstand, Hikaru quickly grabbed her keys, as well as Aquario. Although she no longer battled, she always kept it close by – for it served as a reminder of her late mother. Grabbing a hold of her purse, she checked its contents. Frowning slightly, she returned her violet gaze to her nightstand, where a small, key chain-sized can of mace rested.

Admittedly, Kyoya was intimidating, but she trusted that he wouldn't hurt her; she couldn't say the same, however, with regards to those who lived on his side of town.

With a soft sigh, she slipped the miniature can of mace into her purse and headed out.

†††

Upon her arrival to the warehouse district, Hikaru began to feel old memories stir in the recesses of her mind. The last time she had come to this "neighbourhood," the Face Hunters hadn't been the friendliest of people, having challenged her to an introductory battle when they first met. Swallowing nervously, she took in her surroundings. Assuming things didn't go as planned, it would be wise to map out an escape route, especially one that she'd have quick access to, without having to worry about junkies (among other things).

As she got closer, she could hear the bass of profanity-laced rap music, echoing from the main warehouse.

_If he isn't here, I suppose I'll have to ask Benkei,_ she thought inwardly whilst approaching the entrance. As she neared the corner, she noted that multiple males were gathered within the warehouse. Easily, she could say that over forty people were present, all of whom she assumed were Face Hunters – or used to be, at the very least.

Some were battling or consuming alcohol, while others lounged lazily among the crates which lined the walls. Some were even fighting in the far corner, occasionally decking it out on the floor, or finding themselves in headlocks.

Taking a sharp breath through her nose, she cleared her throat softly, causing one of the Face Hunters to look her way, performing a slow once-over before discharging a low wolf whistle. Naturally, that gained the attention of the others, many of whom fixed her with a salacious stare.

Showing some initiative, she stepped forward, focusing her gaze on the one who had whistled at her – the one with a blue bandanna hanging out of his low slung pants. Once she was close enough, in order to be heard over the music, she attempted to have a brief conversation, ignoring the fact that many, if not all, of the boys were blatantly checking her out.

_What on Earth is their problem? Have they never seen a girl before, _she pondered inwardly.

"You lost, sweetheart," one of the Face Hunters asked in a salacious tone. "'Cause you know, if you are, I can give you a tour of–"

"Shut up, Harley," the one with the blue bandanna snapped, before focusing his attention on Hikaru. "What do you want, short stuff?"

Ignoring his tone, as well as the term 'short stuff,' Hikaru fixed him with a purposeful stare.

"Would you happen to know where Kyoya is?"

"Say what?" He slurred.

"Kyoya," she repeated.

"Why're you lookin' for him?"

"I just wanted to speak with him for a moment."

Grunting his indifference, he pushed himself off of the wall with his shoulders, before leading her into the lair of the Face Hunters. Gathering her courage, or as much of it as she could find, she followed after him, doing her best to keep her head held high with dignity.

"Wait here," he grumbled, before scaling a set of metal stairs off to the far right.

Nodding her head, Hikaru remained perfectly still, while observing her surroundings. From the rafters overhead, multiple chains descended to the floor like vines, and, most prominently, appearing over the graffiti coated walls, were the words, "DEATH 2 PREPS."

Shrugging, Hikaru noted that soon after he left, the other Face Hunters began to surround her, directing a plethora of catcalls her way.

"Hey, princess, you look cold," one of them drawled lazily, whilst flipping his cap backwards. "How about you come over here and get cozy with me?"

"You're joking, right?" She growled softly, while throwing a deep glare at the one who had dared to speak up. (After a long, and somewhat stressful, day at work, her patience was beginning to run thin.)

"So … that's a 'no?'"

"That's a hell no." Hikaru clarified, causing the Face Hunters to release a loud chorus of howls, and laughter, causing her to frown.

Apparently, it was amusing when a girl turned down a sleazy guy. Or at least that's what the Face Hunters thought.

"C'mon, baby … don't be like that," he whined.

Turning to face the male, Hikaru's lilac coloured eyes zoned in on the one who had spoken.

"Why don't you just shut up?" She snapped softly, her eyes ablaze with hostility. Despite her looks, she wasn't some delicate, little blossom, nor would she hesitate to put this wretch in his place, should he dare to trifle with her again.

"Oh … Like playin' rough, do you," he snarled while advancing, attempting to intimidate the former blader. However, and much to his displeasure, before he could get any closer, an ominous growl could be heard overhead, causing everyone (including Hikaru) to involuntarily flinch. Flicking their gaze upwards, everyone watched as a large figure came into view.

Almost twenty feet up stood the wild King of the Beasts, who was leaning casually against the metal railing surrounding the loft overhead.

"Kyoya …" Hikaru breathed softly, suddenly having the urge to fidget under his gaze.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to speak with you."

"Oh …? And what, pray tell, would you like to speak about?" He asked, his deep baritone accompanied by an insufferably bored expression.

Before she could answer, Hikaru couldn't help but to notice how everyone's attention was now trained on her, causing her cheeks to heat up a little.

"Um … actually, I was hoping we could speak privately," she said, whispering the last part.

Upon hearing this, some of the Face Hunters smirked, causing Hikaru to bite her lower lip, her teeth sinking into the soft pillow of pink. As for Kyoya, he merely arched a dark eyebrow, assessing the importance of what the former blader had requested of him.

Humouring her, he flipped himself over the banister, landing directly in front of the Face Hunter who had been making the threatening advances earlier. Due to the unexpected movement, the boy stumbled, landing on his back, forcing him to meet the electric blue gaze of his leader.

Narrowing his eyes aggressively, Kyoya turned to silently trail after the cerulean haired beauty as she exited the warehouse.

†††

With no particular destination in mind, the pair soon found themselves atop a hill, which overlooked the city. Given the newfound vantage point, the leonine blader turned, focusing his attention on Hikaru. It was obvious – he wanted an explanation regarding her "visit." Normally, people tended to avoid him at all costs, so why, exactly, had she demanded an audience with him?

"Why did you leave after the battle like that," she asked, her gaze directed towards the shining lights of the city below.

Her tone was not sympathetic, nor was it condescending, Kyoya noted, however, he still had no interest in touching base on the subject.

"Does it matter?" He grunted softly, while lowering himself to the ground.

Frowning, Hikaru turned to look at him. He was simply sitting there; one knee drawn up to his chest, with an arm wrapped around it, while the other supported his weight.

"Yes," she stated, while taking a seat beside him, mindful with regards to the placement of her dress.

Taking a sharp breath through his nose, Kyoya reached into his pocket, producing a cigarette and a small lighter. Lifting it to the edge of his mouth, he inhaled slowly before releasing a perfect ring of smoke into the night air.

"That sort of thing means nothing to me."

"How can you say that?" Hikaru pressed, hurt visible in her violet eyes. "You finally defeated Gingka, and now you're acting as though you merely battled an inexperienced child. You're not like that."

Turning to face her, the leonine blader removed the cigarette from the edge of his mouth and offered a wry smile.

"I don't owe you anything … much less an explanation," he stated, his tone clipped and final.

Frowning, Hikaru watched as the Legendary Blader of Spring arched a dark eyebrow slowly, daring her to challenge his words. (Unfortunately, he was correct.)

Noting her loss of words, as well as the look of hurt in her eyes, he offered the cigarette to the cerulean haired beauty. His attempt at smoothing things over, she supposed while hesitantly reaching for the cigarette.

Lifting it to her lips, she attempted to mimic Kyoya's actions, which, unfortunately, resulted in a small coughing fit. Upon seeing this, the lion's smile almost became tangible as he retrieved his cigarette, detecting a faint trace of what he suspected was strawberry flavoured lip gloss.

"That stuff is terrible," Hikaru whispered, once her breathing had returned to normal.

"I suppose so …" he muttered, before proceeding to out the cigarette.

For a few moments, no words were exchanged between the pair, until the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. Looming close by, storm clouds began to roll in from just beyond the sea, setting the perfect stage for a summer shower, Hikaru supposed.

The unexpected sound caused both teens to still briefly, before the cerulean haired beauty suggested that it was time to get going. As they slowly rose to their feet, Kyoya couldn't help but to notice the delicate, yet seemingly subtle details that he had clearly overlooked earlier. From where he stood, he could fully appreciate the slender arch of her neck and the soft curve of her jaw. It amazed him – the beauty that could be found within such simplicity.

Brushing a few stray strands of grass from the edges of her dress, Hikaru began to make her way down the hill, only to notice that the leonine blader seemed to be rooted to the spot.

"Kyoya?" She called softly, her tone almost expectant.

As though he had been snapped out of a trance, the lion followed suit, the ends of his coat snapping in the wind, until the pair found themselves at a quiet intersection. It bordered between the warehouse district and the other side of town – which was only twenty blocks away, give or take.

As they stood there, somewhat hesitant to part ways, the sky rumbled once more causing minuscule drops of water to descend from the sky.

Just as Hikaru got ready to turn and make the journey home, she couldn't help but to notice the new stance Kyoya had adopted. His broad shoulders were slightly hunched, his hands buried in his pockets, and shadows obscured half of his face. Overall, the image was hardly befitting of a king. He didn't look particularly happy, or even angry. He just looked sad and distant from the rest of the world.

Swallowing unevenly, she wondered if she would regret her next decision as she slowly approached the leonine blader. Standing on her tiptoes, she gently pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and after a moment she pulled away, her countenance adopting a sad smile while her violet eyes retained their soft glow.

"Congratulations, Kyoya …" she whispered – referring to his victory, before turning to leave. If they had to part ways, she figured it should be done on good terms. For one of them, anyway.

However, she had barely taken two steps when she felt a strong arm slide around her waist. Much to her surprise, her stride was immediately cut short as the King of the Beasts drew her closer, causing her hands to land against his chest.

"Kyoya, what're you d– mmmm … nhh."

With the exception of the predatory glint lingering in his eyes, no warning was issued before the battle-scarred male shifted his head, capturing Hikaru's soft, initial sound of protest in the condensation of their kiss.

For a moment, she was completely still, her mind remarkably clear from a single touch. Ever since her defeat at Battle Bladers, she had trained herself – both in mind and body – to be ready for the worst. To be prepared.

She had been ready. Ready for anything … except Kyoya.

When he pulled away, his eyes softened a touch, and was accompanied by a peculiar warmth that had never been there before.

"Don't leave," he murmured, his voice just a little above a whisper.

†††

Making their way inside the warehouse, the teenagers carefully climbed the metal stairs. Everyone else had left around eight o'clock, Kyoya explained as they neared the top. Once she was standing at the top, Hikaru slowly took in her surroundings. The loft was sparse, and relatively clean, apart from several books that had been strewn across a platform bed.

Off to one end of the room stood a wooden dresser, a door which led to an en-suite bathroom, and two planks along the wall which served as shelves for a collection of books. Among the various titles, Hikaru noted that he had a copy of "The Wind in the Willows."

A secret smile graced her features as she ran her fingers along the tattered spine of the book. He must have been rather fond of it during the days of his childhood, she suspected. And, oddly enough, peeking out from the top of the book was an old newspaper clipping, possibly acting as a bookmark. The words forming the first sentence read, "Following the tragic death of G.T., the heir of TC has reportedly gone missing."

Upon hearing the lion shuffle in the background, Hikaru quickly spun around, attempting to forget what she saw. The term 'TC' seemed familiar, in a strange way, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Deciding to ignore the article, her thoughts drifted back towards the children's novel, itself.

"Kenneth Grahame, huh?"

Rolling his eyes, Kyoya offered to hang up her coat with his own, before claiming that he had been fond of the author's work for a short time. However, as he matured, he tended to lean more towards Jack London.

Giggling a little at the irony, Hikaru caused a pair of stormy blue eyes to soften as the Legendary Blader slowly made his way over to her. As he got closer, she lifted her hand and gently touched the corner of his mouth, her fingertips lightly brushing over his fang. Upon contact, the atmosphere within the loft shifted, and a new thought entered Hikaru's head, causing her to shy away from his gaze as she tucked her hand back to her side.

When questioned why she seemed so distant, and why she was avoiding eye contact, she had no choice but to confess the inner workings of her mind, as hot crystalline tears slowly formed at the edges of her eyes.

Of all the girls he could choose from … why her? After the events of Battle Bladers, she had quit, in every sense of the word. Instead of dusting herself off, and trying again, she had thrown in the towel and walked away from it all. At first, she had convinced herself that she was making the right decision. After all, internal bleeding, bruising, some broken bones, and the possibility of never being able to have children of her own was enough to scare anyone into submission.

Upon hearing this, Kyoya slowly set his hand on her cheek, his fingers stretching back to her ear as he brought his forehead to hers. Although he chose not to speak, what he meant was clear. No one – living or dead – compared to her. No one ever would. Not in his eyes.

Slowly, he sealed the gap between the two of them, drawing her body closer to his as they shared a passionate kiss, which gradually grew more heated.

Somewhat hesitantly, Hikaru gently reached behind his head to the base of his neck. Carefully she undid his ponytail, freeing lustrous strands of alpine hair, which caused Kyoya to pause. Almost instantly, he claimed Hikaru's eyes with a purposeful stare, the muscles throughout his body suddenly filled with tension.

Similarly to any other male his age, the thought of having someone like Hikaru in his life was euphoric, but, at the same time, it brought a set of worries all its own.

"Are you having second thoughts?" She asked softly, worried that she had taken things too far.

"Not even close," he responded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Then … what?"

Frowning, as though struggling to form a difficult question, Kyoya took her hand in his, running his thumb along her flawless skin.

"To tell you the truth," he began softly, "I'm actually wondering if you want to reconsider your … _options_."

"No, of course not," she exclaimed, taking a step forward while he stroked her cheek.

"How can you be so sure," he murmured. "There's a lot that you don't know about me …"

Gently, he pulled away from the cerulean haired beauty, and, in one fluid movement, he reached behind his neck, ripping his T-shirt over his head. As soon as he did, Hikaru's gaze was instantly drawn toward his lithe torso, which was decorated with hard, chiseled planes of toned muscle. For a moment, it felt as though her brain had short-circuited, causing a soft shade of pink to hug her cheeks.

Flicking her gaze up to meet his, she saw that his countenance had also taken on a soft, rosy tint. The main differences being that his was less noticeable, and his eyes had adopted a seemingly feral look, similarly to an animal that had been cornered.

Noting her gaze, the leonine blader's frown deepened as he turned around slowly.

"K-Kyoya …?"

Reaching behind his head to the base of his neck, the Legendary Blader swept his long, lustrous hair to the side, causing Hikaru to gasp softly. Unlike the front of his torso, his back had been marred with multiple scars.

For a few moments, the loft was as silent as a cemetery, but Hikaru swore, from the recesses of her mind, that she could hear the whistling of leather flying through the air, accompanied by the sorrowful shrieks of a child. They looked old, and they would probably heal completely within another year or so, but that didn't help to ease the pain in Hikaru's heart.

She wanted to ask who had done such a terrible thing to him, but she couldn't begin to form the words, much less find the correct ones.

Swallowing unevenly, she approached the brooding male, and slowly wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"I'm so sorry … Kyoya," she stammered past stifling, heartfelt sobs that threatened to claw their way to the surface.

Clasping her hand with one of his own, Kyoya drew her fingers over the hard planes of his abdomen until they settled over his sternum. Beneath the shield of bone and muscle, there was a faint heartbeat. In that moment, Hikaru realized what he was trying to say.

Overcome by a wave of emotions, she pressed closer to the Legendary Blader of Spring, and proceeded to kiss the scars along his shoulder blade. Turning to face her, he claimed her mouth with his own, before proceeding to pick her up and make his way over to the navy duvet.

That night he told her things he had never told anyone before. Admittedly, his words were brief and carefully chosen, but it was far more than anyone else had ever received from the lone lion.

Within the loft, it was as though the rest of the world didn't exist, apart from the rain which fell from the sky as threaded jewels. Every kiss, every touch was a tender confession of love, the likes of which neither had ever known before. Lying together in the dark, their two hearts slowly became one.

"Mine," he growled softly in her ear, while drawing her closer.

"Yours …" she conceded with a soft gasp.

Regardless of who said otherwise, Hikaru knew it in her heart - she had always been his … and he had always been hers.

†††

The following morning, the industrial scent of the city held delicate traces of freshly fallen rain and blossoms that were just beginning to flourish. Sighing in content, Hikaru couldn't imagine a better way to wake up, than with her head resting upon the elegantly muscular chest of the wild King of the Beasts, and her legs intertwined with his.

Somehow, in a single night, it felt as though the entire world had been reborn. For Hikaru … it had been. Everything seemed so different, compared to before. The rays of sunlight did not merely descend to Earth. It was akin to music. Every note danced and waltzed, forming a symphony of light, beckoning the inhabitants of the loft to awaken and exchange sweet nothings.

Smiling at the thought, Hikaru dared to look upwards, only to see that her mate's royal blue eyes were still shielded by a curtain of long, dark lashes.

Feeling a bit adventurous, she leaned closer and began to kiss along his jaw, until she neared one of the infamous blades of scar tissue that adorned his face.

It wasn't as rough as some might've suspected. In fact, it was rather soft as she had discovered, the main difference being that it was a few shades darker than the rest of his naturally soft tan.

As she continued her ministrations, the leonine blader stirred slowly, the muscles along his torso flexing and contracting. As the events of last night flooded his mind, Kyoya turned to look at the cerulean haired beauty lying in his arms. He wasn't certain how, but as if over the course of last night's events, his senses suddenly became much more appreciative of Hikaru's delicate features.

Leaning closer to his queen, the Legendary Blader slowly captured her mouth with his, reaffirming what had happened last night between the two of them.

If he was being honest, Kyoya knew next to nothing about the term 'romance.' Did he know the definition of it? By the book, however, the properties of the word were foreign to someone like him. 'Hikaru,' on the other hand, was a word that he did understand. 'Hikaru' was a word that meant everything to him. Something that he would burn down cities for. Something that he would kill for …

"Hi."

"Hey … You all right?" He responded at half the volume.

"Mm-hmm," she sounded, while gently threading her fingers through silky strands of hunter green hair.

Leaning closer, the couple shared another kiss and shortly afterwards began to discuss the properties of their relationship. They spoke in hushed tones of how they felt the first time they battled, what they experienced when the other got hurt at Battle Bladers, and, eventually – as it always does – the topic of the future arose.

When it did, Hikaru experienced the shock of her life.

Admittedly, Kyoya had told her many things last night, between tender words of romance and gentle touches. He had even told her about the death of his parents, rendering him alone at the age of six. What he had failed to tell her was that he planned to return to Kyoto, shortly after graduating to run his father's company. He had also failed to tell her that his father had been the founder and CEO of Tategami Corporation, more commonly known as "TC."

At that moment, it suddenly made sense why those letters seemed so familiar when she had seen them in that news article. "TC" was the largest – and by the far the most successful – military arms dealing company in the world. The "missing heir" of said company had to be Kyoya, being that he was the first-born son of Lord Tategami.

Never in her life had Hikaru been in such a state of utter shock. Last night, she had slept with Kyoya, and, somehow, he had conveniently forgotten to mention that he had been a multi-billionaire from the moment he took his first breath.

This information, as far as she was concerned, was merely another form of separation. It wasn't bad enough that she watched him and the others from the sidelines. It wasn't bad enough that she watched the audience chant his name, all somehow desperately seeking his attention. Now, she may as well have originated from a different planet. How could she possibly hope to compete with that?

"Why didn't you say anything," she whispered.

"What did you expect me to say? The last time I checked, discussing career options, while making love, tends to kill the mood," Kyoya grunted softly, his face once again adopting a rosy tint.

"Still … you could've said something, at the very least," she countered, refusing to meet his gaze.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Kyoya shifted his weight so that he was lying on top of her, forcing her to look at him.

"What difference would it have made? My actions last night – my words, even my thoughts were results of how I feel when I'm with you. No one else has, or ever will have that effect on me," he growled softly, his eyes ablaze with anger, while his bangs brushed against her forehead. "I have never loved anything, or anyone as much as I love you. Leone, my parents, even Beyblade, itself – it all blurs in comparison to you."

Hikaru instantly stilled in his grasp, her eyes wide upon hearing his confession. Usually, people of any sort had trouble seriously admitting that they loved someone – so hearing the words, crisp and refreshing, had a profound effect in her mind. Allowing the tension to leave her body, she accepted his admission. Somewhere in her heart, she was certain of it. Every word of it. In the end, it truly didn't matter, she reasoned. Even if her own mind told her otherwise, or someone arose and told her that she was no good for him, she knew that Kyoya wouldn't hear of it. He was just far too stubborn, but it was a type of tenacity that she hopelessly adored.

This time when her tears reappeared, she allowed them to run freely while a gentle smile graced her features. Carefully she placed her hands along Kyoya's torso, drawing him closer to her so that they were sharing a breath.

"I never thought something as beautiful as you could happen to someone like me," she whispered, leaning up this time to brush his bangs aside and place a kiss softly against his forehead.

†††

A year later – as he had stated in the loft – Kyoya followed through with his plans. Shortly after graduating, he headed for the city which he had affectionately been named after. Attending a private university, he had earned a degree in Business & Management, preferring to dabble in the art of political science from time to time.

As for Hikaru, after years of rigorous studies and academic achievements, she went on to be the head corporate lawyer for TC. As her new title implied, she was responsible for overseeing and handling transactions, negotiations, and the drafting of corporate documents.

Blessed in countless ways, Kyoya couldn't help but flash his fang in appreciation every time a new set of paperwork was placed before him. Because when it was, Hikaru was always by his side, pointing out an important piece of information that he may have overlooked. Whenever she did, the sunlight always caught her gleaming wedding band, the radiance of it akin to the glimmer in the young CEO's eyes as he marvelled at his wife's legal and economic prowess.

For far too long, each had been bearing the burden of a secret storm, their internal struggles constantly rendering them alone and helpless in the dark.

Turning to face his wife, Kyoya saw the soft glow of her violet eyes, and felt his heart constrict with pain and happiness all at once. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, inside and out, and although she didn't know it, her eyes whispered the same words as his did …

_You're not alone anymore …_


	4. Chapter 4

Situated on a boat, a few yards off shore from the Sydney Opera House, a group of teenagers watched intently as a computer screen revealed their competition for the first round of the World Championships. Displayed on the screen were the profiles of five individuals – the representatives for Team Japan.

The driving force of the team consisted of three people.

The first was a girl with voluminous silver hair – Miyako Otori. According to the computer, her partner was Earth Eagle 145WD, the very blade that her father had utilized during his days as a blader. The computer also gave them access to basic information, such as the parts of her bey, her battle history, and her fighting style. All in all, she appeared to be a powerful, headstrong opponent, unlike her collected father.

The second was a small brunette – Anashi Hagane, the heart of Team Japan. According to the WBBA's records, her blade was Burn Fireblaze 135MS, which she had inherited from her grandfather. Given the lore that surrounded the immortal phoenix, Team Australia trusted that she wouldn't be an easy opponent to defeat, for her beyblade's performance tip was made of metal. As such, it was rumoured to create a lot of friction and resistance, indicating that it held a large supply of power that was at Anashi's disposal. They would have to be on their guard, should one of them face her in battle.

The third regular member was Kotomi Hanawa. Her battle history was short, but none of the records hinted at a single loss. Her bey was custom-made: Infinity Taurus H100SD. It didn't look like much, but its fusion wheel hinted at silent, reserved power which could easily transform itself into a deadly opponent.

"Why are they sending girls to fight, Theodore," one of the males muttered, his index finger perfectly aligned with Kotomi's profile. "They can't be serious."

"Perhaps they are; you should never underestimate the power that can lie within another's spirit, J.T.," a second boy replied, his clear eyes trained on the screen as he scrolled down. The remaining individuals consisted of the team's manager, and their captain/sub member.

The manager/athletic supporter wouldn't be battling, but it couldn't hurt to scope out what the other team had to offer. The manager – Rika Yumiya – was the smallest member of Team Japan, and quite possibly the weakest link. They doubted that she would pose a threat, but hadn't everyone else thought so with regards to her father, in previous years? For the longest time, Kenta had been regarded as a weak, insignificant blader; it wasn't until he had accompanied the Dragon Emperor that he gained a new purpose, as well as a new source of unforetold power. That said, Team Australia would definitely be keeping an eye on her, Theo decided as he finally scrolled down to the very bottom.

As they neared the bottom of the page, Theo didn't fail to notice how J.T.'s eyes widened and froze when he saw the statistics revolving around the captain of the opposing team – Hikoya Tategami, the only male on Team Japan. The blonde's hazel eyes seemed to be especially attached to the blade the commander wielded: Storm Leone 100HF, an attack type. When they clicked on the icon, it was revealed that the Beyblade had been created from the designs of three pre-existing bases – Rock Leone 145WB, Storm Aquario 100HF/S, and a single, unknown origin.

Even more surprisingly, when they attempted to conduct a further investigation, regarding his technique and battle history, a small window appeared, along with a set of bold, glowing red letters: ACCESS DENIED.

"Rats," Theo hissed bitterly, whilst glaring at Hikoya's profile. There was no way he could properly prepare the boys if an adequate amount of information couldn't be collected on the Japanese team.

"Relax," J.T. grumbled, overcoming his initial shock. "He's the sub member, too, right? If that's the case, he won't be battling, so chill out."

Turning to face his comrade, Theo's face darkened with hostility.

"Is that right? And just what do you think will happen if even one of the regular members can't compete, huh? The battle order would instantly change to accommodate the entry of the sub – a person who we know next to nothing of."

When phrased that way, J.T. instantly fell silent. His team mate had a valid point. If his parents' battle records could serve as an accurate indication, Hikoya would be a vicious opponent, who specialized in blitzkrieg – rapid, lightning fast attacks which were designed to overpower an opponent.

Swallowing nervously, J.T. turned to the other male, his voice barely above a whisper, "You don't actually think we'll have to face him, do you?"

"Huh?" Theo sounded, as he resurfaced from the depths of his thoughts.

"This 'Hikoya' guy," J.T. clarified.

"If we analyze all their beys, it shouldn't even be an issue. We can customize our blades to match or exceed theirs. If we register and submit all our information three days prior to the first match, it's perfectly legal. The tournament organizers will simply review and approve our request, and they'll make the modifications."

"You're forgetting one thing," a new voice spoke, the somewhat deep alto causing the others to look up and meet the gaze of their commander.

"And what would that be, Dash?"

"They can also modify their blades; the beys you're looking at now may not necessarily be the same ones you face in the stadium."

"Good call," Theo conceded, his frown deepening as he came to terms with his leader's words. It would take more than "tricked-out" Beyblades to go up against Team Japan.

†††

The Japanese team seemed to be at odds with itself as well, for no tangible routine had been established between the teenagers. Kotomi and Rika were quiet, but open minded to reasonable suggestions and training methods, Anashi observed. Miyako, on the other hand, was still as obstinate as ever. So far, she had utilized a plethora of snide comments and refused to conform whenever their captain's name was mentioned. As a result, shortly upon their arrival to Australia, Hikoya headed off on his own without a word.

"Whatever," Miyako huffed while crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. "It's not like I told that jerk to leave."

"No," Anashi conceded, "but your actions did."

Frowning, Kotomi nodded and rose to her feet. "I'm inclined to agree with you."

"You're siding with her?" Miyako exclaimed.

"As for you, it should be noted that you're the only one who has been acting like a jerk," Kotomi growled. "Despite the way you treat him, I'm fairly certain Hikoya hasn't even said so much as a single word to you. I'm right, aren't I?"

Snarling softly, Miyako closed her eyes, indicating that she was no longer in the mood to listen or argue. Nor was Kotomi, and as a result she made her way across the expanse of the suite and rejoined Rika.

Sensing the tension within the room, the green haired female softly cleared her throat, gaining the team's attention.

"Behaviour aside, I spoke with Hikoya a little during our flight."

"And?"

"We did some research on the beyblades of the Australian team, and came up with a few strategies," Rika explained. "After thoroughly analyzing all their blades, we concluded that they all have impressive fusion wheels, designed for offensive and defensive maneuvers."

"So … counter mode?" Kotomi determined with a small frown.

"Exactly; in other terms, they're pretty good with regards to attack and defense … but we're better."

"How so?"

"Because we'll be using these …" she added in a mischievous tone as she produced two circular objects from her back pocket. "This is a weight disk, and this one is an attack ring."

"What?" The others said simultaneously.

"Allow me to explain," she persisted, "the weight disk and attack ring were introduced with the beyblades of the 'Engine Gear' and 'Hard Metal' Systems. Eventually, the Hybrid Wheel System was introduced, and new parts arose."

"You mean … the system that our beyblades are based off of?" Anashi guessed.

"Correct. The beyblades of the initial system could utilize up to thirteen different parts in a single bey. Today, only five can be found in a functioning blade: the face bolt, energy ring, fusion wheel, spin track, and performance tip. Naturally, the weight disk and attack ring are somewhat 'out-dated' – as Hikoya put it – but they're still compatible with our beyblades. All of it is legal, and no one ever said that we couldn't spin old school!"

"Thanks for the history lesson," Miyako muttered with a yawn, "but what does any of this have to do with our beys?"

Rolling her eyes, Rika muttered something under her breath about impatience before proceeding to speak, "I took Hikoya's advice, and ran a few battle simulations. The weight disk – as the name implies – provides additional stability, with regards to centrifugal force, and the attack ring increases the overall ferocity of the blade, itself. Similarly to Cosmic Pegasus and Fang Leone 130W²D, this will separate the fusion wheel into a core and a frame. The weight disk and the attack ring will act as said parts, respectively, increasing the bey's performance, significantly."

"One thing though," Miyako added with a sneer. "The weight disk – 'as the name implies' – will only slow down the blade's rotation speed. Have you thought of that?"

"As a matter of fact," Rika responded with a smirk. "Why do you think Hikoya took off in the first place? Of course, the weight disk will provide additional mass to a bey, however, it can be countered by a strong launch technique."

"So that's why he left - to develop a stronger launch," Anashi summarized.

"Yep; he's probably in the middle of training right–"

"Why would he be training," Miyako cut in. "He's the sub, remember?"

"No! Really? I thought he was our cheerleader," Rika exclaimed in mock surprise. "Lest you forget, Hikoya is our commander, as well as the sub. If one of you were to fall ill, or skip practice, it's his job to make up for it. Let that sink in for a moment – you should be able to answer your own question."

†††

Once the boat had been docked, Theo decided to take a break from the others, preferring to complete his analysis on his own. Selecting a small café, which overlooked the harbour, he ordered a cup of coffee and seated himself at a small table. From the corner of his eye, he noted that the sun was bidding the shore farewell, as the stars began to emerge from their celestial nests, twinkling with such a level of royalty that no earthly monarch could compare.

Offering a rare, private smile to no one in particular, he pulled up the profiles of the Japanese team once more. With an idea of perfect clarity nestled in the centre of his mind, he immediately clicked on the icon of Hikoya's blade, for he intended to study all its parts to learn its secrets.

Starting from the bottom, working his way up to the top, Theo finally noted what seemed to be – in his opinion – the most peculiar part of Storm Leone. The face bolt was blank. Even generic beys had perceptible symbols, so why was this one so different? Could it be damage, as a result of rigorous battles and training? Or was it something else entirely?

†††

Clad in her pink nightgown, Anashi watched as the minutes ticked by slowly, and couldn't help but to wonder what was taking Hikoya so long to return. Was he really so upset that he refused to enter the general vicinity of the hotel? Had something terrible happened? She hoped not, but it was a foreign country, after all. Anything could happen, and – more times than not – it did.

Just as she was about to don her shoes, to head downstairs and search for him, the resonating click of the door could be heard. Arching her neck to see who it was, Anashi's eyes widened slightly when she saw Hikoya's exhausted frame. His slate coloured hair concealed his piercing gaze, and his arms were dead at his sides, most likely due to rigorous training.

From what little that she knew of him, Anashi suspected that while Hikoya was a skilled blader, he was also a perfectionist – just like his father. No matter how accurately he had launched, he would probably spend hours adjusting his stance or whatever else he suspected was 'wrong.'

"Hey …" she greeted softly, causing his heliotrope eyes to settle on her.

Offering a fraction of a nod, Anashi watched as her weary captain made his way over to the sectional. Grabbing one of the throw pillows, he punched it so that it was more comfortable for his head – a trait he had adopted from his father – as he settled himself on the sofa.

"Um … goodnight, I guess," she murmured, turning to join her friends, who were currently asleep in the adjacent room.

Grunting his indifference, Hikoya flipped over onto his side, and muttered something under his breath, which vaguely sounded as though he was returning the sentiment.

Smiling to herself, Anashi quietly slipped into the other room, her heart strangely aflutter.


	5. Chapter 5

***Whenever a character's speech is in bold, it simply means they're speaking in another language.***

As nightfall drew near, Anashi found herself curled up on her side, atop a queen-sized bed, with Fireblaze clutched close to her chest. Only a few days before the first match, she thought inwardly, as feelings of unease began to settle in her abdomen. She had just gotten off the phone with her mother, and the others - except for her captain - had gone to a small bistro, just across the street. She, on the other hand, had chosen to stay behind at their hotel.

Unlike the other members of her team, Anashi had never strayed far from home. She had never travelled beyond Japan's borders, and this was her first time competing in the World Championships. As many would expect, the mere notion of such freedom placed a profound sense of excitement in her heart, but it was not without a catch of its own. Every thrill came with a lingering sense of fear.

Of its own accord, her mind entertained thoughts of failure, and the possibility of getting lost in a foreign country, equipped only with her beyblade. What if the team lost because of her? It was enough to make any rookie pack their bags, and call it quits.

Sitting up straight, she shook her head firmly from side to side.

_What on Earth am I doing? No, I won't allow myself to think like that. I will improve, and I won't let my team down,_ she reasoned.

Rising from the bed, Anashi made her way to the door, and crossed the length of the suite, intent to watch some television before finally calling it a day. Perhaps that would help her to relax, she thought inwardly. As she made her way over to the sofa, she noted that her captain was currently immersed in the pages of a book.

"H-hey, Hikoya," she murmured, hating the way she stuttered around her older teammate. Clearing her throat softly, she attempted to speak again, this time proceeding with caution to keep her voice steady. "What are you reading?"

Momentarily, his gaze touched hers as he lifted the book, revealing his reading material – a dictionary.

"Why are you reading that?" She asked, while slightly tilting her head to the side. Surely, the television channels had to be more interesting than his reading content. Grabbing the remote, Anashi quickly discovered why Hikoya had opted for a dictionary – all the programs were being broadcasted in a different language.

Turning the confounded device off, she settled herself next to Hikoya, peering over momentarily to examine the pages of the dictionary. Much to her displeasure, most of it had been written in a language she did not understand, either.

Seemingly irritated by the newfound proximity, Hikoya inhaled sharply through his nose, and briefly intoned that it was a Japanese-to-English dictionary.

"'Are you bilingual?"

"Multilingual," he corrected softly. "In battle, I would never do any favours for my opponent, nor would I alter my speech to help them surpass something such as a language barrier. The Australian team wouldn't be any more accommodating, I imagine."

"I suppose you're right …" she concurred, internally amazed by Hikoya's thought process.

He's just like a tactician, she remarked inwardly as the rest of Team Japan barged through the door, laughing and conversing with one another. As though an unspoken agreement had been exchanged between the brunette and her commander, their conversation came to a halt, as each made their way toward their respective sleeping areas.

†††

The following morning, the five made their way to a local gym, situated a few blocks from their hotel. Upon their arrival, Anashi noted that while the gym possessed all the bells and whistles of a normal training centre, it also housed several bey stadiums. Most were occupied, but that was fine, seeing as the girls would be taking turns acting as sparring partners.

Heading to their respective changing rooms, Team Japan quickly switched into their athletic attire, and made their way toward the main floor of the training facility. Deciding that it would be best if they paired up, Anashi and Kotomi made their way over to the stadium – after all, someone had to test out the new weight disks and attack rings, so why not them?

Straightening her arm to mirror her sparring partner, Anashi launched with one fluid motion, while the others made their way over to the opposing end of the gym. The battle was short, but intense thanks to the new equipment, with Anashi emerging as the victor. Wordlessly calling her bey back to her hand, the young brunette couldn't help but to wonder what had her friend's mind so preoccupied that she had briefly zoned out, thus bringing their "sparring match" to an abrupt end.

"What's on your mind, Kotomi?"

"Them …" she answered quietly, nodding to a secluded area where another group of teens were gathered, all of whom were wearing matching outfits which donned small depictions of the WBBA's logo.

"Perhaps we'll be facing off against them," Anashi inferred.

"Perhaps," Kotomi replied with a perfunctory shrug of her shoulders, before flicking a tentative glance toward her other teammates.

As expected, Miyako had already fixed the Australian teenagers with a hard, unflinching gaze, the burnished gold of her eyes challenging and assessing them all at once. While Rika's eyes, on the other hand, were searching for their blades and launchers.

"Think that's the Australian team?" Miyako intoned.

"Yes," her smaller teammate replied with a clear, yet seemingly clinical voice.

"Think we should introduce ourselves?"

For a moment, Rika seriously considered the idea, until she realized that if the Australian team was anything like hers, they would have done their research prior to the first match.

"Perhaps; if they didn't do their homework, though, that's not my issue. What do you think … Hikoya?"

At the mention of his name, their captain slowly unfolded himself from the shadows, his amethyst eyes producing a feral glint. In a quiet, yet fearsome voice, he asked Rika to pull up the profiles of the Australian team, allowing him to evaluate said profiles and those who were gathered in the secluded section of the training facility.

Upon seeing the profiles, a slight inclination of his head confirmed that the teenagers before them were, indeed, the members of the Australian team: J.T. Walker – a regular; Theodore Robinson – another regular, who also acted as the team's manager; Dash Kelly – also a regular and the team's captain; and finally, Martin Smith – the team's sub member.

"Leave them be," he grunted.

Without offering another word upon his departure, Hikoya removed himself from the group and resumed his training. He had no intention of consorting with the opposing team prior to the first match, or at any given point henceforth.

"What's his deal?" Rika muttered – she knew Hikoya wasn't very gregarious, but abstaining from a little socializing was awkward, if not impolite.

"Maybe he's shy," Miyako sneered softly.

"Doubt it," Rika replied, as her teammate began to cross the expanse of the room. "Hey, what do you think you're doing? Hikoya said to leave them alone – you'll be in trouble if he finds out."

"Oh, yeah? Well, you can tell Mr. Sunshine that he isn't the boss of me. If I was meant to be controlled, I would've come with a remote," Miyako hissed, continuing to make her way toward the Australian team.

As she approached, four pairs of eyes instantly locked onto her lithe figure, observing her with a sense of relaxed curiosity.

"**Hi, my name's Miyako; I'm assuming that you're the Australian team,"** she stated when she was standing in front of the other teenagers, surprising them by her ability to speak fluently in their native language.

Seemingly having recovered from their initial shock, the one known as "J.T." made his way over, extending a polite, yet formal greeting on behalf of his team mates, his eyes resembling those of a fox. Almost instantly, Miyako decided that she liked the blonde – at least he knew how to be courteous … not that such behaviour would get him anywhere, should they face one another in the stadium as opponents.

Speaking of which …

Peering beyond the blonde male, Miyako allowed her gaze to settle on the two brunettes of the group, one of whom had clear, intelligent eyes – along with a standard smartphone – while the other possessed a glinting pair of emerald orbs. Based solely on the look he was giving her, she took him as the Hikoya of the Australian team.

The brunette commander of the Australian team didn't tower over her - unlike a certain irritable, blue haired giant, which she knew of - but he did possess a stocky build alongside a pair of sloping shoulders and a standard crew cut. All in all, easy on the eyes but not so much on his social skills.

Apart from the Australian commander, a small red head stood off to his left, his frazzled hair getting in the way of his eyes.

"**What do you want with us?"** He said, his voice rich and smooth, with a guarded undertone.

"**I merely wanted to check out my competition for the first round of the World Championships."** Miyako replied, the rest of her friends taking a break to investigate what she was getting herself involved with.

"**These are your teammates?"**

"**Yes."**

"**They don't look very strong." **The Australian commander murmured quietly, breaking his silence.

Narrowing her eyes, Miyako folded her arms across her chest, her gaze challenging him to make another thoughtless remark; any excuse to put him in his place, while teaching him a painful lesson.

"**Where's your captain?"** J.T. piped up, his eyes scanning the room for the fifth member of Team Japan.

"**How do you know you're not looking at her?"**

Upon hearing that, J.T.'s eyes widened in surprise; this girl couldn't possibly think that she was fooling anyone. Especially not him. His team had done their research, and she was most definitely not the Japanese commander, but perhaps he could use her inflated ego to his advantage … he thought to himself as his gaze roamed over the rest of her team.

"**All right, if you're the captain of your team, what type of training modules or exercises have you completed in preparation for our match?"**

"**A good captain would never reveal her secrets,"** Miyako lied smoothly, her mind drawing a blank when it came down to what Hikoya said they would be covering in the days that would soon follow.

Shrugging, J.T. slid his hands into his pockets, while rocking back and forth slightly on his heels.

"**I suppose it doesn't really matter; from what I've heard, the commander of the Japanese team is also the sub member … so we probably won't face off anyways. But I'll keep an eye out for you,"** he replied effortlessly, causing Miyako's eyes to widen slightly.

She and the others had been able to review the statistics revolving around the Australian team, so wouldn't it stand to reason that they would be able to view the corresponding information with regards to Team Japan? If that was the case, it caused an even bigger question to arise: Had J.T. known all along, purposely choosing not to call her out on her bluff?

In that moment, part of her wanted to shout and accuse the blonde-haired male of making her look like a fool. But another part – the small, yet reasonable voice she often ignored – pointed out that she was the one who had made herself look foolish. Not the irritable Hikoya and certainly not some boy she had just met and known for about two minutes.

Deciding that it would be best to stop while she was ahead, Miyako politely bid the Australian team farewell before returning to her friends.

"How did things go? What did they say?" Rika asked softly once the opposing team was out of earshot.

"Um, they were nice. Told us to watch our backs because they're so tough and all," she lied, causing Anashi to frown. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," the small brunette replied, fidgeting slightly under the older female's gaze.

Changing the subject, Miyako immediately began to go over their "game plan," regarding their first round in the World Championships. When she finished her proud declaration, her "moment" was cut short when Hikoya showed up and congratulated her.

"Brilliant execution; you should be glad to note that I'm willing to accommodate your fabricated account of events for the first round."

"Say what," Miyako choked, her mind struggling to figure out exactly what Hikoya had just said, "You're going to abdicate your title? For me?"

"No; you've been benched. You wanted my status on the team, so I'm going to give it to you in a circuitous way for the duration of the first round. That includes the attached position that comes along with it – that of the sub member."

"You're saying she can't battle?" Kotomi asked with wide eyes.

A fraction of a nod was a sufficient answer to render Kotomi silent, though not her silver haired friend.

"That's not fair!" Miyako hissed.

"Disobedience resulting in repercussions is unfair," Hikoya asked with a soft lilt to his voice, daring her to step out of line.

Without another word, the violet eyed male made his way off to the locker room, indicating that it was time to leave. Their training would resume another day.

†††

"Nice one!" Rika hissed quietly, her dark gaze settling directly on Miyako.

"Me!? What did I do?"

"You just threw off our entire game plan! That's what you did, genius," the green haired teenager seethed. "If you hadn't gotten yourself benched, we'd have the perfect line up to defeat the Australian team!"

"Mind filling me in," Kotomi asked softly from the edge of the group.

Sighing, in a somewhat overly dramatic manner, Rika asked if any of them were familiar with a team from one of the previous World Championships: Wild Fang. When the girls drew a blank, it was the wielder of Fireblaze who spoke up, inquiring what caused Rika to reference the retired team in the first place.

"What's so special about that group?"

"That group represented Africa. The African qualifier and preliminaries caused Wild Fang to face off against every other competitive country within the continent. Based on my research, the team's origins were somewhat of a strange one; one member was an Egyptian, who had journeyed to the location where the qualifier was being held: Rock City in the country of Savannah, and–"

"Wait a sec; I thought the savannah was a region of land – not a country." Kotomi intoned softly.

"I don't get it, either; should I continue?"

Offering a shrug, the lavender haired blader braced up against a wall, her arms folded across her chest. The term "Wild Fang" seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had heard of it.

"Anyways, another member happened to be a resident of Rock City, preferring to live along its borders by the grasslands. The remaining members of the team journeyed from Japan, one of whom assumed leadership of Wild Fang."

"Now that I think about it, this does seem a little familiar …" Kotomi murmured, earning a smirk from her green haired team mate.

"As it should; one of the Japanese members was your father."

The pieces of the puzzle slowly came together in Miyako's mind. It all made sense – after all, her father usually liked to reminisce about the days of the World Championships and Team Gan Gan Galaxy. Especially the days of its formation, some of which weren't as humorous as the others.

Occasionally, when her father spoke of his old team, he would subtly mention two would-be members, assuming the circumstances had been in Team Gan Gan Galaxy's favour. One of the temporary members was the Dragon Emperor, who had battled on behalf of Gan Gan Galaxy in place of her father and a friend of his, whom she had come to associate as an uncle-like figure, "Yu Tendo."

The other member had abandoned Gan Gan Galaxy almost as quickly as he had earned a position on the team. Due to his absence, the position had been vacant once more, allowing her father another chance to make the team. According to Gingka, when he had confronted the blader, it was revealed that he had utilized the Japanese preliminaries as a platform to demonstrate the damage he could cause … And he had used her father as the key example to make that lesson painfully instructive, striking fear into the hearts of their worldwide audience.

"The other Japanese member of Wild Fang was–"

"You don't have to say that creature's name …" Miyako snarled softly, knowing exactly whose name Rika had been gearing up to say. "Better yet, as a team rule, let's make it official: none of us are to speak his name."

"You do realize that Hikoya's father isn't the Dark Lord, right? Mentioning him in conversation doesn't automatically create a realm of bad luck and misery." Kotomi scoffed, acting as the voice of reason.

"That's debatable," Rika spoke up cheekily, though in no way siding with her silver haired team mate.

"Whatever; what does any of this have to do with our team?"

"I was getting to that," Rika pouted. "Look, Wild Fang used to battle and dominate their competition in a strategic manner. Their advanced guard – Nile – was utilized to assess the opposing team and secure an early victory in the first match. Depending on the outcome of his match, the reins were handed over to Hikoya's father."

"Why him?" Kotomi asked.

"He was the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal …" Anashi softly concluded, her voice barely above a whisper. He had to be from the folklore surrounding the Legendary Blader of Spring.

"That's right; Nile always secured an early victory in the first match, and Kyoya cleaned up in the second."

"I have to admit: that's not too bad as far as strategies go. Sending a strong blader to assess the competition would help them to gauge what they're up against. If the opponent's weak, the team won't have to reveal all of its secrets."

"Exactly. Initially, that's how I wanted our team to kick things off for the first round, but, now that Miyako's been benched, we need to come up with a new strategy. Especially since I have no idea what kind of power Hikoya wields in his arsenal." Rika muttered.

"I don't suppose he'd tell us if we asked him …" Kotomi added.

"Probably not. You know how he is – the guy never says more than a few words at a time. Or he disappears for hours on end, leaving us with no way to contact him."

Nodding her head, Kotomi began to wonder how they should go about getting the information. If Hikoya wouldn't give it to them at leisure, one of them could always battle the violet eyed male. If he accepted, then Rika could use her laptop to record the data and thoroughly analyse it.

"Let's challenge him!"

"Say what?" The others exclaimed simultaneously.

"Let's do it; if we can't convince Hikoya to tell us what we want to know, then let's challenge him to a battle. One of us can battle him – and Rika can record the information – providing us with the data we need to make an informed decision regarding our line up."

"That might actually work, but how are you going to challenge him?"

"By speaking to him …?"

Upon hearing that, Rika laughed as though she had just heard a two-year-old declare that they had successfully mastered calculus.

"What's so funny?"

"You're just going to speak to him," Rika echoed, trying to control her laughter. "Did you forget that Miyako just pissed him off, on top of his own training drills? This day has been an utter disaster; Grumpy Cat is probably exhausted, meaning all forms of discussion or communication in his department are closed."

"'Grumpy Cat?' Seriously?" Kotomi muttered in disbelief.

"Yep; that's what I've decided to call him. Anyways, that aside, how exactly do you propose we tackle this problem?"

"Maybe you should speak with him," Anashi suggested softly.

"Me!?" Rika exclaimed as though the brunette had told her to go bungee jumping.

"Think about it – you sat next to him during our flight, so you probably know more about Hikoya than the rest of us."

"That doesn't mean I enjoyed it! Grumpy Cat is a poor conversationalist and I only spoke to him out of necessity during our flight."

"And this isn't necessary," Anashi pressed to no avail. "Fine, then … I'll speak with him."

"You?!" The others exclaimed simultaneously.

"Why not? You," Anashi began, looking pointedly at Miyako, "seem to hate his guts, Kotomi appears to be indifferent, and I don't think Rika is going to change her mind any time soon … so that leaves me."

"And you think you'll be okay with him?" Kotomi inquired.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like he bites–"

"That you know of; have you seen his fangs?" Miyako hissed.

Rolling her eyes, Anashi quickly straightened up when she saw Hikoya emerge from the locker room, his bag slung across his shoulder. Wordlessly, he passed the girls, giving them a pointed look, indicating that they should get ready to leave as well.

With a huff, Anashi adjusted her bag, trailing silently after her commander while the others filed into the changing room.

"Hey, Hikoya … do you have a sec?" Coming to a halt, the austere male waited for her to continue.

Taking a sharp breath through her nose, Anashi began softly, asking if he could make some time to help her practice.

"Why not ask one of the others?"

"I think I can learn a lot from you …" she admitted quietly.

"… All right."

"Really?"

"Did I stutter, Hagane?"

†††

That evening, Anashi found herself standing across from Hikoya, mirroring his position. Instead of a normal stadium, they had opted to train by the wharf, overlooking the harbour. And, as planned, Rika began to record the battle, analyzing everything from Hikoya's stance to the tension in his muscles.

"Are you ready, Hikoya?"

A tight nod of his head was all she received as he straightened his arms, ready to launch.

"Three."

"Two," Anashi responded.

"One; let it rip!" They announced simultaneously as they fired their blades at one another.

Wondering if it would be an easy victory, Anashi went on the offensive, commanding Fireblaze to strike with all that it had. Hikoya, however, did not appear to be shaken as he folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, adopting a passive demeanor. Without summoning his bit-beast, or even uttering a word, his blade suddenly vanished into thin air, causing Anashi to falter.

Blinking, she briefly wondered if Leone was hiding. But how had it moved from view so quickly? Even attack types couldn't move that fast.

Things didn't just appear and disappear without an explanation – it wasn't scientific, Anashi reasoned.

Flicking her gaze up to her captain, she watched as he reopened his violet eyes, causing his blade to reappear. In an instant, Storm Leone smashed into Fireblaze with overwhelming strength, causing it to soar through the air before landing on its face bolt.

With wide eyes, Anashi watched as Leone circled once before striking Fireblaze again, causing both beys to sail through the air and land in Hikoya's outstretched hand. With a grunt, he flicked his wrist, returning Fireblaze to its owner, as Anashi leapt to catch her treasured partner.

"Your launch is weak; keep practicing."

"So much for positive feedback …" Anashi murmured softly. (Much to her immediate displeasure, Hikoya had heard her. Clearly.)

"You have power … but that is all. Turn your strength into a point of focus and improve your launch technique," he grunted, offering no further advice as he turned on his heel, and stalked off into an unknown area of town, leaving the girls at the harbour.

"Do you think he's upset that we were analyzing his technique?"

"Only God in Heaven knows," Rika muttered as she reviewed the recording, resulting in a frown as her eyes scanned the footage.

"What's wrong? Were you able to figure out why his beyblade disappeared?"

"No, but I'm not surprised. Have you seen his mother's battles? Hikaru was infamously known for developing a technique that allowed Storm Aquario to appear and disappear at will, among other things. She was the only one who was ever able to. Or at least she was the only one until now."

"Wow …"

"From what I've seen, Hikoya's technique was modelled after his parents' and their respective styles of battling."

"Rock Leone was defensive, and Storm Aquario is an attack type, right?" Anashi inquired.

"Correct, but when Rock Leone evolved, it began to behave like an attack type, in response to Kyoya's will. Based on what I know, Fang Leone usually stays in counter mode, giving it impressive levels of defensive and offensive power. Even for a defense type."

"So if Storm Leone's disappearing act doesn't concern you, then what does?"

"The conditions of your loss, to tell you the truth. Don't you find it just a little bit strange that Fireblaze lost so quickly? A stamina type that should be able to hold its ground against the aggressive Leone," Rika stressed.

"I don't know; I mean, I couldn't even see where Leone was for most of our battle. How do you expect me to counter his attacks when I can't assess where or when he's going to act? He didn't even speak to summon Leone or use a special move."

"Who ever said he had to? Why do you think so many inexperienced bladers lose quickly? They always announce what they're going to do, aloud, giving their opponent time to formulate a corresponding strategy! If that isn't the height of stupidity, I don't know what is."

"Your point," Anashi murmured softly. "Why is it so strange for a stamina beyblade to lose to an attack type?"

"Because it's uncommon. Even if the result was bound to be the same, you shouldn't have lost that easily."

"Well, Hikoya has more experience than I do so–"

"It still doesn't add up," Rika protested. "Even my laptop had trouble tracking Leone's movements."

"Why?"

"Take a look."

Peering over her friend, Anashi's eyes widened with fear when she saw what Rika was referring to. Now, it was painfully clear … The Japanese team, officially, possessed the most dangerous blade in the world, and they hadn't even been aware of its presence until mere moments ago.


	6. Chapter 6

Frowning, Anashi took in her surroundings as Fireblaze whirled proudly at her feet. They were situated within an arena, the countless seats vacant and covered by a thin veil of darkness. Unable to find an exit, the brunette made her way over to the stadium, only to discover that she and Fireblaze weren't alone.

Rotating soundlessly at the bottom of the pit was another bey; its metallic sheen looked cold like a sheet of black ice, and its burgundy energy ring made her feel sick with unease. Unable to identify what type of blade it was, Anashi turned to leave just as she heard a low, feral snarl. Flicking a tentative glance toward the stadium, she saw what appeared to be a wild dog standing in the place of the beyblade.

Unlike other wild dogs she had seen before, this one looked as though it had crawled up from the depths of hell. It was lean like a rail, as though it had been deprived of food for weeks, causing the sharp contours of its bones to be visible. Every inch of its coarse, russet fur was drenched with fresh blood, and its amber eyes, although wild, were keenly focused on Anashi's face as it snapped its fangs in delight.

When she attempted to flee, Anashi found herself unable to move. Her legs were rooting her to arena floor as the hound lunged, its fangs poised to tear her throat out. As it jumped, its sickly voice, laden with saliva, spoke from the recesses of her mind. It whispered, lovingly, as it explained its desire to rip her apart – to tear her open and leave her mangled corpse in the arena.

"Someone help me! Please!" She screamed, shutting her eyes as the creature overpowered her with ease, its claws ripping the flesh of her small shoulders.

"Anashi!"

Upon hearing her name, her eyes flew open and she shot forward, resulting in a searing wave of pain as her forehead connected with something solid.

"What the heck was that for!?"

Slowly sitting up, Anashi squinted as she saw Rika who was rubbing her own head, her teeth bared as her face contorted in agony. As for Kotomi, she had just flicked on a bedside lamp, her eyes wide with concern.

Realizing what must have happened, Anashi was about to offer an apology when the bedroom door was ripped open, causing her and Miyako to jump, as a shirtless Hikoya appeared from the shadows, his slate coloured hair sticking out in multiple directions.

"What the hell is going on," he growled, his voice groggy with sleep.

"I-I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake anyone up," she whispered. "I, uh, had a bad dream …"

"Well … it's over now, so let's get some shut-eye." Kotomi yawned, her gaze landing on the digital clock which displayed that it was around three in the morning.

Nodding her head drowsily in agreement, Rika muttered an odd little fragment of words, before burying her head under her pillow.

Seemingly content, Kotomi turned to her friend, whispering that it was just a dream.

Nodding her head, Anashi watched as her teammate settled herself beside Miyako, who had already returned to her original sleeping position.

Sighing inaudibly, she looked to the ceiling.

Most dreams meant something, at least to her they did, so what did this one signify? What would happen to her? Could it be prevented?

Having forgotten Hikoya's presence, she jumped a little when his voice resonated from the doorway, suggesting that she get some rest.

"Okay … Goodnight, Hikoya," she murmured as she turned off the lamp and drew the blanket up to her chin.

Offering a tight nod of his head, Anashi watched as her commander softly closed the door.

†††

In the days that followed, Anashi felt her feelings of unease dissipate. Everyone seemed to appreciate the time and effort their captain put into their training sessions. The pairings were always coordinated in a manner that best suited the objective of the training modules, while helping each member to improve. If additional assistance was required, Hikoya offered one-on-one battles between himself and whoever need his help at the time.

To make things easier, he opted not to use his special move from earlier: "Tidal Wall" which helped his blade to vanish, just like Storm Aquario. The girls considered this to be a blessing, however, the violet-eyed male warned them not to grow accustomed to it. Just because he didn't resort to such methods every time a battle ensued didn't mean that the Australian team wouldn't, especially if they had access to that type of arsenal.

"But none of their beys can do that," Rika protested, "and I checked – they haven't made any modifications to their blades."

Grunting softly, Hikoya resumed training; while Rika had a valid point, that didn't necessarily mean that it would hold true when confronted with other international teams.

After an additional twenty minutes worth of training exercises, the violet-eyed male called it a day and departed from the group.

"What do you think he does when he takes off all the time?" Kotomi inquired.

"Probably sacrifice a few cats and light buildings on fire?" Miyako suggested.

Anashi frowned at the thought.

"Hikoya isn't like that," she protested, "and besides, considering who his father is, I doubt he would even consider hurting a cat."

"Well, how would you know? He could be in a cult," Miyako replied with a shrug, "I mean take a look at him – eerie eyes, the choker … not to mention the damn fangs."

"How is that relevant? Apart from the necklace, you basically described his dad."

"Whatever; they both creep me out." Miyako growled with a soft shudder.

Rolling her eyes, Anashi began to make her way back to the hotel. Tomorrow they would face the Australian team … something she hoped she was ready for.

†††

After the announcer had declared the commencement of the first match, Anashi rose to her feet, her stomach somewhat queasy. Her opponent was J.T., who stood with poise and a hint of annoyance at her hesitancy. Swallowing nervously, she forced herself to move to the stadium, casting a fleeting glance toward her teammates.

"You'll be fine, Anashi; we believe in you!" Kotomi exclaimed whilst pumping her fist in the air.

"Do your best, but don't do anything too rash with Fireblaze," Rika added, always one to direct an amount of concern for the blade involved.

"Good luck," Miyako said, looking pointedly at the Australian male, who stood smugly at the edge of the stadium.

Flicking her gaze to Hikoya, Anashi saw that he was standing next to the team's waiting area, leaning against one of the metal beams. His legs were crossed at the ankles and his arms folded across his chest; sensing that she wanted him to say something, he slowly opened his violet eyes and uttered two quiet, yet fearsome words.

"Destroy him."

Those words chilled her blood, but she supposed some "encouragement" was better than none, as she made her way to the stadium.

"**Thought I'd be waiting for a century before you showed up,"** J.T. sneered as he readied his launcher.

Pursing her lips, Anashi retrieved Burn Fireblaze from the holding compartment on her hip, and clicked it into place, ignoring her opponent's words.

Don't focus on the anxiety, her father's words rang in her ears as she launched with one fluid motion while the audience counted down to the moment of execution. See through your opponent. Visualize.

Without wasting time, J.T. smirked as his bey began to circle Fireblaze, trapping Anashi's blade in the middle of the stadium. Every time she tried to reach the outer edge to build power, J.T. would push her back to the centre.

Growing frustrated, Anashi began to lose focus, causing her to concentrate on external factors … like the sickly sheen of J.T.'s blade – Poison Canis.

"**Go, Canis – show her your overwhelming strength!"** J.T. exclaimed, summoning a ginger furred canine to the stadium. Standing at the base of the stadium, it switched the focus of its amber eyes between Anashi and Fireblaze, as though it couldn't decide which one it wanted to attack first … The bit-beast or the girl?

When their eyes locked, Anashi felt an uncomfortable weight settle in her abdomen, and it suddenly became ten times harder to breathe. Those eerie eyes resembled the same ones from her nightmare. They were sadistic, cold and merciless.

"What are you doing, Anashi!? Get your head in the game," Miyako exclaimed from the team's waiting bench.

Nodding her head, the brunette tried again but to no avail. Every time she tried to move to the outer edge of the stadium to build power, Canis would give off a vicious shock wave, repelling Fireblaze.

_What am I going to do …_ she thought inwardly. If she commanded Fireblaze to jump upwards, she would run the risk of landing on the furthest edge of the stadium, and if Canis was within range another shock wave could be issued resulting in a stadium out. Her stadium out and Team Japan's first loss.

"Anashi," Rika yelled, gaining her attention, "Canis uses the air current of its surroundings to shield itself; create some heat!"

Pretending to understand, Anashi resumed her focus or what there was that remained of it. If creating heat would help her, she would give it a shot. The real question was how to create that heat, and what purpose would it serve? After all, it would do her no good to have a tool in her possession if she didn't know how to use it. If she didn't know how to use it, that would ultimately eliminate the heat's intended effect.

Normally, she would use Burn Fireblaze's special move to create that heat, but she had yet to amass enough power to use it. Until Canis offered a momentary opening, she was trapped and utterly helpless …

_Friction is the key …_

Flicking her gaze to her teammates, Anashi frowned. Something had spoken – a man, she thought – but the only male on her team was Hikoya, and just like before he was still standing upright, shut off from the battle and the rest of the world. His arms were still folded across his broad chest and his eyes were closed as though he was deep in thought.

_Was he the one,_ she pondered inwardly. The others gave no indication that they had heard anything, and none of them were even looking at Hikoya. Had it simply been her imagination?

_Great, now I'm losing my mind,_ Anashi concluded.

Even so, the information could prove to be useful and right now it was all she had to work with. Rika had mentioned that she should create heat, while the mysterious voice had told her that friction was the "key." The two had to be connected, and in that moment Anashi began to understand how.

Friction could create the release of heat, thus distorting Canis's invisible shield. She didn't need to increase her speed to develop power, she just had to spin in place long enough. If Fireblaze could keep spinning – without losing too much momentum, even for a few more moments, its metal performance tip would be able to generate enough friction to release a heatwave of its own. That would cancel the effect of the air current shield.

"**So are you going to fight me, or did you just come to check me out,"** J.T. taunted while flashing an impish grin – after all the only thing he had to do was wait for a sleep out, and then he and Poison Canis would advance to the next round.

As for Anashi, she had no idea what the Australian had just said to her, but it didn't matter. Before J.T. could get a proper grasp of the situation, a radiant aura of light encompassed Burn Fireblaze before diffusing a massive wave of energy.

Raising his arms to shield his face from the release of heat, he barely managed to catch a glimpse of Canis as it was hurled from the stadium, embedding itself in the wall behind him.

"**It has been decided! Victory of the first match has been secured by Anashi and her partner, Burn Fireblaze,"** the Australian DJ announced.

Following in the footsteps of her father, Anashi did the polite thing and offered a sincere smile to her opponent. Despite her struggles in the beginning, it had been a good fight, overall. She would also have to thank Rika, and her lucky stars for whoever had provided her with that additional piece of information. They had truly been a lifesaver.

After she had retrieved Fireblaze, Anashi hopped off the edge of the stadium and made her way over to her teammates, most of whom were cheering enthusiastically as a result of her victory.

"You were great!" The girls exclaimed, enveloping her in a group hug.

"Thanks," she giggled, as they dispersed. "So who's going to be handling the second match?"

Upon hearing that, the girls frowned. Their captain had yet to change his mind about Miyako's penalty for going against his word, and no one had been assigned to compete in the second match.

"Maybe I should go up there? Infinity Taurus is gearing up for a battle," Kotomi announced while removing her blade from its holding compartment.

"Is that okay with you?" Rika asked, turning to face the Japanese commander, who had yet to move from his seemingly dormant position.

Opening an eye to establish that he had heard her, Hikoya offered a fraction of a nod before his countenance returned to its normal expression.

"Guess that answers that question," Miyako fumed quietly.

Shrugging, Rika informed her teammate that she would be facing off against the Australian captain.

"He'll be a tough one to beat, but I'm sure you can do it."

"Don't worry about me – this is going to be a walk in the park!" Kotomi replied, a twinkle of self-assurance evident in her eyes.

Making her way to the stadium, she readied her launcher, clicking Infinity Taurus into place. Grinning, she allowed her ruby eyes to shimmer as she heard the roar of the crowd.

"Ready to rock?" She addressed Dash, who merely frowned in response.

Readying his own launcher, he clicked his blade into place and leveled his arms. As soon as the legendary words were uttered, he and Kotomi released their blades simultaneously.

Aiming for the centre, his bey – Desert Macropus – rotated soundlessly at the bottom of the pit, anticipating Kotomi's next move. As expected, she went on the offensive, only to watch in shock as Macropus bounced into the air, effortlessly avoiding her onslaught.

"Is that all you've got? You intend to win by running away?"

"Not quite," Dash replied, his accent hardly detectable as he responded in the same language.

Ignoring the seemingly empty threat, Kotomi tried to attack again but this time from a different angle. Allowing Taurus to circle the stadium several times, thus enhancing its speed, she sent her own blade off the edge of the stadium. As soon as it was airborne, she aimed for Macropus.

Smirking, Dash purposely lowered his blade, and as soon as Taurus connected with Desert Macropus's fusion wheel, it was flung into the air like a kangaroo delivering a powerful kick to the chest of its enemy.

No … He mimicked Dark Bull – he has an uppercut attack, too, Kotomi internally panicked as her blade landed next to Dash.

**"The victor of the second round is Dash Kelly!"** The announcer bellowed, cheering for the captain of his country's team.

Feeling a shiver travel along the length of her spine, Kotomi dropped to her knees and smashed her fist against the ground. She couldn't believe it – she had just lost, and within mere moments her defeat had awarded Team Japan with their first loss.

Pursing her lips, she forced herself to rise and retrieve her blade. What the hell was wrong with her? How could she have allowed that to happen?

Slowly making her way back to the team, her eyes locked with Hikoya. He didn't appear to be pleased but he didn't look angry either.

"I … I'm sorry – I shouldn't have been so careless."

"It's okay," Anashi murmured in a comforting tone, "we can still win."

"Oh, yeah? How?" Miyako inquired, seemingly oblivious to the way Kotomi's shoulders had stiffened.

"Someone else will have to battle." Rika grunted, her eyes never leaving the screen of her laptop.

"And just who do you recommend? Grumpy Cat – as you've dubbed him – banned me from competing in this round, and he hasn't said so much as a word about–"

Before Miyako could finish her sentence, her eyes widened when she saw that Hikoya was no longer present. Instead, he was already situated at the edge of the stadium, reaching to acquire his launcher. He was facing off against Theodore – essentially, the Australian version of Rika. Unlike his other teammates, Theodore was more reserved and analyzed every detail concerning his competition.

"**So … you're my opponent."** He murmured softly, thinking that the Japanese male wouldn't hear him.

"**So it would seem."** Hikoya replied, switching to English to demonstrate that he had heard Theodore's words.

Frowning slightly, Theodore placed his laptop on the ground, setting it to record the progression of the battle and relay the information it collected to a special pair of glasses he currently wore.

Whipping out his launcher, he mirrored Hikoya's stance as the crowd counted down to the commencement of the battle. Without a word, both males launched, causing their beys to circle one another with predatory awareness.

As they did, Theodore's eyes widened and his body was overcome by a vicious chill. Storm Leone was trailing behind Torrens Crocodilus just like any other bey, but its movements were eerie. Blinking, hoping that it was just his imagination, Theodore watched helplessly as Leone vanished.

If he wasn't worried before, he was certainly on the way there. If the data he had been shown was accurate, Leone could be anywhere in the stadium, perhaps readying itself for a head-on attack. Literally.

Gritting his teeth, Theodore fixed his eyes on Hikoya causing him to scowl. The older male's eyes were closed, and his arms were folded across his chest as though he was trying to take a nap while standing upright.

How dare he disregard the importance of our battle, Theodore thought inwardly, after all, the victor of this match would ultimately decide who would be advancing and who would be saying goodbye to the World Championships.

It wouldn't be him, he vowed as he called upon his bit-beast and submerged the field with water. Now Hikoya couldn't see his blade either, thus forcing him to make a move to identify where Crocodilus was lurking. Or so Theodore had hoped.

Instead he was shocked when he heard a crackling noise coming from the depths below. Without warning, something appeared in the water and its eerie ruby eyes were focused on the manager of the Australian team. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he knew it wasn't Crocodilus, so it had to be Hikoya's bit-beast.

For the first time in his entire life, Theodore found that he was afraid of his opponent's abilities, for the creature watching him from the depths of the stadium was able to return the human gaze with acute awareness. As it continued to study him, its mouth shifted revealing a glittering row of sharp teeth, all presented in a sickly display of a smile.

Upon hearing the crackling noise again, Theodore felt as though his entire world had gone cold. From his vantage point, he could see small faint movements circulating in the depths of the water Crocodilus had created. In that moment it became frighteningly clear just how much danger he was in. In his haste to internally criticize Hikoya, the Japanese male had been constructing a trap and now it was too late to escape …

The water (as he now knew – thanks to his glasses) had been charged with dangerously high levels of electricity, and because it had yet to convert itself to the fourth state of matter – plasma – it had been lurking in the depths of the stadium ever since Crocodilus had flooded the battlefield with water. As soon as the conversion occurred, the electricity would take on its more recognizable form and Theodore would lose the match.

"**I underestimated you …"** He whispered, knowing fully well that Hikoya could hear him.

"So it would seem." the Japanese male murmured, repeating his exact words from earlier but this time in his own language.

Without another word, the Japanese commander decided to put an end to Theodore's misery and watched as Leone responded to his mental commands.

_Mirror Drive …_

Instantaneously, the electricity circulating in the water turned purple, as though it had been injected with poison, and violet lightning released itself from the depths of the stadium, aiming toward the heavens. Without warning, a horrific sound cracked across the arena, like magnified gunfire – a single shot, piercing the ears of all who were present, followed by a blinding explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Theodore was unconscious and as well as a few members within the audience. Many had flinched and some of the younger individuals had tears in their eyes.

Wordlessly, Hikoya called Leone back to his hand, while Crocodilus rested in a newly formed crater at the bottom of the stadium.

Closing his eyes, Hikoya trusted his feet to take him past his frightened teammates and to the arena's exit. Team Japan had won, but he suspected that they still didn't fully grasp the severity of his power … After all, he hadn't even been using a tenth of what he truly had at his disposal and his little demonstration from earlier was only Leone's second special move: Mirror Drive.

One more still lurked in the shadows, but it was for a single individual.

They had no idea concerning the level of hell that had been reserved unto them, however, they would find out soon enough …


	7. Chapter 7

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Anashi rested her head against her arms as her mind drifted toward a particular violet-eyed male. She shivered in fear – not because of her commander's lethal skills, but rather his ability to hide them. She had never witnessed something so horrific and - if she was being completely honest – she never wanted to.

Her fear, however, couldn't outweigh her concern.

Immediately following Team Japan's victory, Hikoya had silently stalked out of the stadium. No one had heard from the Leone wielder since.

"Do you think he abandoned us?" Rika murmured absentmindedly; she wasn't worried, just curious.

"I don't think Hikoya would do that … At least, not this way." Kotomi chipped in, causing Anashi's heart to clench.

"Who cares? I would be surprised if he's still allowed to compete in the World Championships after the stunt he pulled."

Shooting a glare at her silver-haired friend, Kotomi motioned to the small brunette of the team. It was obvious that she was upset, and Miyako was doing little to remedy the situation. Placing a hand on Anashi's shoulder, the Taurus wielder offered words of comfort, promising that Hikoya would return soon enough.

"You know how he is," she murmured. "He comes and goes as he pleases, but I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Almost immediately following her words, a soft knock sounded at the door and Kotomi smirked as if to say, 'Told you so.' Rushing to the door, Anashi opened it only for her expression to falter when she was greeted by the Australian team. When J.T. spoke, she remained silent – partially because she had no idea what he had said, nor did she care to interact with anyone at the moment. Luckily, she didn't have to as Miyako came to stand beside her.

"**Why are you here?"**

"**We're looking for your captain."** J.T. answered, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of the Japanese male.

"**No one has seen him since this afternoon."**

"**Really,"** he pressed, earning a sharp nod from the silver-haired girl. **"Well, if it's not too much trouble, can we wait here until he returns?"**

Glancing toward her teammates, Miyako shrugged her shoulders. She didn't see a problem with the boys' presence, and perhaps the additional company would help to lighten the team's mood.

"**I don't see why not,"** she replied, stepping aside so the boys could remove their footwear.

Making their way to the living room, J.T. faltered when he felt his toes brush against something. Peering down, his eyes landed on a black duffel bag, containing what appeared to be several textbooks.

He wasn't an expert by any means, seeing as he had yet to put in his application, but the books appeared to cover some heavy university-level content. One looked as though it had been through the wringer a couple of times, for it was marked by red tabs, tattered pages and couldn't close properly – political science. Another was pristine, marked only by several blue transparent tabs – accounting, of some sort. That was as far as he got, until he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Miyako's voice.

"**What are you doing?"**

"**Nothing, really; you guys have some interesting reading material."**

"**They do not belong to us – they are Hikoya's."**

"**He's in university?"** J.T. asked, genuinely interested.

"**He **_**is**_** older than us,"** Rika spoke up slowly, as though she was speaking to an idiot.

"**You speak English?"** He inquired.

"**No, I babble in it,"** she retorted with narrowed eyes, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Quirking an eyebrow, J.T. frowned – clearly, Rika Yumiya was the sarcastic one of the group.

Choosing to ignore her friend's last comment, Miyako spoke up, inquiring about the purpose of Team Australia's visit.

"**Well, I've come to the decision that your commander owes us an explanation and an apology to Theo. I don't know about you, but he's a little too intense for my liking. Hasn't he ever heard of something called 'restraint?'"**

"**So that's why,"** Rika muttered. **"You think you're going to receive an apology from Hikoya? In your dreams, Fido."**

"**'Fido?'"**

"**Well, you have a canine-related bey, don't you?"**

"**That doesn't mean I want to be associated with a pet name."**

"**Too bad – it stays. Let's see, Grumpy Cat and Fido,"** Rika listed, checking off her fingers. **"I wonder who my next victim will be."**

"**Excuse me?"**

"**Aside from bey maintenance and helping to manage the team, she loves to give people nicknames."** Miyako said, informing the hazel-eyed male.

"**So who was dubbed as 'Grumpy Cat?'"**

"**Who do you think?"** Miyako retorted quietly as her gaze hardened when she examined the textbooks.

"**You don't seem to like him much, do you?"** J.T. inferred.

"**Something is wrong with him – I can feel it in my gut. He is bad news for Team Japan, and everyone involved. He doesn't even deserve a place on this team."**

Before the Australian male could reply, his gaze landed on Anashi as she shrugged her feet into her boots and made her way to the door. Over her shoulder, she said something in Japanese and closed the door with a firm snap, causing Miyako's jaw to drop.

"**What did she say?"**

"**She told her to shut up."** Rika responded quietly as she took out her laptop to finalize their travelling arrangements.

†††

Rika turned her gaze to the time displayed at the bottom of her laptop's screen: quarter after seven. It was getting late – Hikoya and Anashi had yet to return. The amethyst-eyed male had disappeared hours ago, and Rika sincerely doubted Anashi's ability to navigate the streets of a foreign country when she could hardly speak the language of said country.

Turning to face Team Australia, she advised them to return to their respective hotel rooms, or wherever they had come from. It was painfully obvious that Hikoya wouldn't be making an appearance any time soon and contacting Anashi was completely useless. Every call had been disregarded and they had no idea if she was even reading the texts they had sent.

Sighing in irritation, the brown-eyed girl looked up as Kotomi entered the suite with a pack of sour gummies in hand.

"Any sign of her?"

"Nada," Kotomi muttered as she slung the pack of candy onto the table. "The lobby, the restaurant, the recreation area … she isn't here."

"Could she be with your commander?" Dash inquired softly, surprising the girls as his voice filled the room with a quiet sense of authority.

"Not likely – Grumpy Cat is a loner. Can't imagine him tolerating anything with a pulse; the possibility of them being in the same vicinity by choice is astronomical."

_Didn't seem that way to me,_ he thought inwardly.

†††

When Anashi finally made an appearance, Kotomi was torn between livid and relieved. The small brunette didn't have so much as a scratch and appeared to be perfectly fine.

"Where on Earth were you? Why didn't you answer your phone!?"

"I didn't want to be disturbed."

"'Didn't want to be disturbed?'" Kotomi snarled. "We thought something had happened to you. Do you have any idea how long I was searching for you? I nearly filed a missing person report with the police!"

Taking a step back, Anashi maneuvered her way around the older female and made her way to the sofa.

"He's not here," she intoned softly as she took a seat, vaguely noticing the Australian males in the room.

"No, he isn't; he– wait a minute! Are you trying to tell me that you were looking for Hikoya?"

Offering a nod, Anashi reached for the television remote and settled on a foreign soap opera.

"Why were you searching for that–" before Miyako could finish that question, Rika slapped her hand over the silver-haired girl's mouth, effectively shutting her up. The last thing they needed was Anashi setting out on another expedition – one had been more than enough, to put it lightly.

"Because I was worried," she answered with a hard look in her eyes.

"Have you tried phoning him?" Dash asked, surprising her with his fluent use of the Japanese language.

"I don't know what his number is."

"Didn't you guys consider exchanging numbers when you formed this team? I mean, the five of you are going to be travelling the world together for a few months."

"He probably wouldn't tell us even if we did ask," Rika sounded.

"What about social media? You may not know his number, but if he has an easily identifiable social media account you can always send him a message."

Whipping out her laptop, Rika decided that it was worth a shot. After a few failed attempts, she finally decided to perform a complete Internet search. Unfortunately, anything she did find was all in relation to Hikaru Tategami and a few mentions of Kyoya.

"Do you think TC has a website? If they do, they might have some contact information," Kotomi reasoned.

"I don't know, but why would I contact TC?"

"If we can get in touch with his parents, perhaps they can tell us how to contact Hikoya."

Shrugging her shoulders, Rika performed another search for TC. As a multinational company, it had various branches, but luckily she found a number that would connect her to its headquarters, located in Kyoto.

Fishing her phone out from her pocket, Kotomi punched in the number and waited for a few moments.

"Hello, this is Arisa speaking; how may I assist you?"

"Um, hi; may I speak with the CEO?"

"I'm sorry but Mr. Tategami is currently unavailable at the moment, however, I can put you through to someone else. Perhaps someone concerning the manufacture of your product, miss," Arisa offered.

"Uh, not quite – I'm not a customer. I was hoping to speak with Mr. Tategami; the issue at hand has no correlation to TC."

"Well, as I said, he is still unavailable at the moment, but perhaps his wife could assist you. If it's a personal matter, she may be able to answer on his behalf."

"That would be great; thank you," Kotomi replied as her call was transferred.

A few moments later, Hikaru's voice could be heard on the other side.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Tategami – it's me, Kotomi Hanawa."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"I hope so; uh, Hikoya left our hotel suite a few hours ago and we haven't seen him since."

"I see …"

"Anyway, I was wondering if you could tell me what his phone number is, so we can get in touch with him."

"I'm afraid I cannot, dear one; Hikoya changed his number a while ago. He never bothered to exchange any new contact information with me or his father."

"What about social media?" Kotomi pressed.

"Hikoya does not have any personal accounts to speak of, nor does anyone else in my family. All accounts are handled by administration, concerning the promotion and marketing of TC's products."

"Oh … well, sorry for disturbing you."

"Nonsense; I only wish I could've been of better assistance … Tell you what, I'll exchange my personal phone number with you. Try to contact me again in a little while, if you're able to, and I'll let you know if anything has changed."

"Okay; could you just jot my number down, or text me so I know the message came from you."

"Of course."

Without another word, Hikaru ended the call, and a moment later Kotomi's phone vibrated from a text message: "Hey, Kotomi. – H. Tategami."

Smiling, Kotomi created a new contact in her phone, opting to do as Hikaru had instructed. She would wait for another hour at most.

†††

Just as Kotomi's expected call went through – and Hikaru's calm, yet commanding voice answered – Hikoya stalked through the door. His eyes were wary, and he looked exhausted. Continuing to assess her teammate's profile, Kotomi froze when her eyes landed on dark traces of blood. A small trail of it seeped from the corner of his mouth, while the rest stained the front of his jacket with dark splotches of crimson.

"Hikoya!" Anashi exclaimed, surging forward to catch him before he hit the ground. (Not that her efforts did much good, considering that Anashi barely peaked the scale at 104lb while Hikoya registered at an intimidating 220lb.) As a result, their combined weight and gravity took them both down.

"Kotomi!? What in God's name is happening over there?" Hikaru's irritated voice sounded, reminding the teen that someone was still on the phone.

"Sorry – Hikoya just showed up, but I think something's wrong," Kotomi replied, trying her best to keep the panic out of her voice, while the Australian males struggled to shift the Japanese commander and free the alarmed Anashi from beneath him.

"What's wrong?"

"He just came through the door and he's covered with blood."

"Is it his own," Hikaru pressed, worry evident in her voice, as though she knew of something the others did not.

"I-I don't know."

Seeing that she wasn't really getting anywhere, Hikaru demanded that the phone was to be placed next to her son, and that the speaker should be activated.

"Hikoya? Sweetie, can you speak to me?"

"… Mom," he choked on a weak whisper as Anashi was finally pulled away from him.

"Did someone hurt you? Have you taken your medication?"

For a moment, it appeared that Hikoya was struggling to form his words, but as soon as he opened his mouth a fresh supply of blood landed on the carpet. It was scary to say the least – Hikoya Tategami, the embodiment of terror, immobilized like a newborn kitten mewling for its mother.

Snapping into action, Hikaru ordered the others to call the hotel staff, asking that they send an ambulance to their exact location.

"What about you?" Kotomi asked fearfully.

"Kyoya and I will be there soon."

"How soon? Do you know how long the flight is? What if–"

"Nothing is going to prevent us from getting there. We'll take one of TC's jets, so expect to see us soon. When you arrive at the hospital, tell them that I've authorized you, on Hikoya's behalf, to exchange information with me, regarding his location and status."

"Okay," Kotomi replied.

Returning her attention to her son, Hikaru offered some brief words before ending the call: "Hikoya, I want you to hang tight for me. Okay, sweetheart? You've got to keep fighting."

Hikoya weakly opened his eyes, their normal amethyst glow dimming as the call ended.

†††

As Hikaru had ordered, Hikoya was taken to the hospital. When the doctor began to ask questions, Rika did her best to answer, but some were more complicated than others, seeing as she and the others knew next to nothing about their commander. When it became too stressful, she contacted Hikoya's mother once again, who explained – in English – that Hikoya had a congenital cardio defect, known as, "mitral stenosis."

Among the various symptoms were fatigue, dizziness and the expulsion of blood. Fatigue had been present from the beginning, Rika thought inwardly, but she had always attributed it to Hikoya's grouchy disposition. As for the other symptoms, Rika could only guess that their absence was linked with Hikoya's, seeing as he never spent more time around the girls than he had to.

"Is it fatal," Anashi whispered fearfully, causing one nurse to raise an eyebrow.

"**She asked if mitral stenosis is fatal,"** Rika explained in English.

"**I suppose the answer is 'yes' and 'no.' Mitral stenosis cannot be corrected with medication, although it may reduce the impact it has on your friend."**

Quietly, Rika relayed the information to Anashi, who slowly nodded her head as though she was struggling to wrap her mind around the nurse's words.

"So what do we do now?" Kotomi asked, after she had gotten off the phone with Hikaru.

"I don't think there's anything we can do, except to wait and pray that his parents get here soon."

†††

True to her word, Hikaru and her husband showed up a few hours later. Their clothing was formal – as though they had left an important business meeting when Kotomi had informed them of Hikoya's state – and their eyes flared with apprehension.

Without so much as a perfunctory glance to the hospital staff, Hikaru's amethyst eyes began to scan the numbers and headings of each room until they settled on #225. As her gaze speared the pane of glass, she felt her muscles tighten and it was twice as hard to breathe. Lying on a blue hospital bed, connected to various monitors and a network of wires, was Hikoya.

His head had been angled to the side, preventing her from seeing his face, and he had been stripped of his shirt and jacket as the doctor performed an x-ray of his chest. After a while, the doctor in question exited the room, followed by a few nurses. All of them were stunned to see Hikoya's parents, especially on such short notice, but they didn't doubt that any parent would arrive to a hospital just as quickly if it was in their means to do so.

"**Why is my son unconscious?"**

"**He was in a lot of pain, miss – I couldn't very well do nothing. In the meantime, since you're here, I'd like to ask you some questions about Hikoya … When he was born, were you notified of Hikoya's condition?"**

"**Yes. Hikoya was born prematurely and was the weakest of the two."**

"**Did you say two?"** The doctor inquired, only to earn a glare from Hikoya's father.

"**Yes; Hikoya has a twin sister."**

"**Does she also suffer from this condition?"**

"**No."**

"**And what of surgery? Has an operation ever been performed on your son?"**

"**No; Hikoya's case is delicate. Our doctor informed us that if he was to perform surgery, our son would run a higher risk of losing his life."** Hikaru murmured.

"**I see … In that case, I'd like to know what type of medication your son has been taking to counter the effects of mitral stenosis."**

"**Anticoagulants and beta blockers."**

"**Do you happen to have any for him? Otherwise, I may have to prescribe that some be obtained for him here, and that may be a little costly."**

At that comment, Kyoya scoffed while Hikaru produced two small boxes from her handbag. Normally, Hikoya always had his own supply, and never fell short. The medication Hikaru carried was only in case of emergencies.

After a moment's worth of observation, the doctor nodded his head and instructed Hikaru to administer the medicine to her son when he awoke.

"**How long will that take?"**

"**It's hard to say. The sedative should wear off in approximately thirty minutes, but, due to fatigue and exhaustion, he may be out for a few hours."**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This is another periodic chapter, which aligns with the third chapter of this story. (In the third one, although not specified, Kyoya Tategami and Hikaru Hasama were eighteen and nineteen years old, respectively. In this chapter, the events take place a few weeks following the defeat of Nemesis, and the pair mentioned above are sixteen and seventeen years old, with Kyoya being the younger of the two.)**

**Disclaimer: All canon characters, material and content (c) Takafumi Adachi. (P.S. - I didn't realize that I had forgotten to add this in any of the previous chapters, so I apologize for not doing so. Going forward, each chapter will involve a brief disclaimer.)**

**Original content/material (c) KYL-T7**

* * *

A pair of intelligent blue eyes stared at the paws before him. His own, he noted, as he could flex his claws with a mere thought. _It's a dream,_ he determined, angling his head as his gaze travelled the length of his flank and his swaying tail. _I'm in Leone's body._ Kyoya rarely dreamt anymore, so when he did he knew that it was his bit-beast trying to tell him something. Slowly, he prowled forward, his paws trudging through the oasis undergrowth in search of water. As it turned out, a decent supply was located in mere moments, accompanied by a small waterfall just a few yards away. It was oddly … perfect.

When he crouched to lap at the water's edge, a soft yet sad melody filled the air causing him to freeze and look up. It was the strangest thing he had ever heard, dreaming or otherwise, as the song was beautiful but the words indiscernible. Like an ancient hymn, performed softly in a foreign language. Upon looking, he stilled though remaining in his crouched position. Bathing beneath the waterfall was Hikaru, her blue tresses falling just a little past her shoulders. She had not been there before, and a small orchid was resting behind her ear, her body covered by small cuts and bruises.

_Healing wounds …_ he thought, _or perhaps new ones._

She looked lifeless and distant from the world as streams of water slowly slid down her body. And, looking from atop a rocky ledge, blazing in the light of the desert sun were three large, slender black lizards. Their red, reptilian eyes were trained on Ryo's assistant, and although the creatures resembled nothing Kyoya had ever seen before he _knew_ they were venomous.

When the monarch of the group opened its powerful jaws, the legendary blader watched as its fangs, coated with a sickly translucent substance, glinted in the dying sunlight, its tongue tasting the evening breeze. They were hunting and Kyoya knew without a doubt that the target was Hikaru. When he roared, telling her to get away, she turned as though noticing his presence for the first time. The look she gave him was devoid of life and even sadness. _Empty surrender,_ he realized as she fixed him with a gentle smile.

_It's too late,_ her soft voice whispered in his mind.

Without warning, the snake-like creatures slid down the rocky slope, surrounding her. She was pulled under without a fight and, before he knew what he was doing, he dived in, tail and paws thrashing furiously as he fought to reach her in time. As he got closer, a red substance blossomed in the water, tinging his fur with blood. And floating on the surface, as though mocking his effort to save her, was the tiny flower. _Hikaru._

_Why did it have to be her? Anyone! Anyone else but h –_

Pulled from the dream, Kyoya sat up straight, cold rivulets of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. Looking over to his nightstand, he saw that it was 3:48A.M. and nearly swore because of it. Falling back limply onto the small mass of pillows and sheets, he trained his gaze on the ceiling, waiting until sleep drew him under her dark wing once more.

Several days prior, Madoka had announced that the WBBA was planning a gathering – a party, of sorts – for the legendary bladers and their allies. Then, at the end of the month, a gala would be held so that world leaders, political activists, celebrities and many others could meet the young individuals who had fought to protect the Earth, itself. Kyoya had no intention to attend, of course, which was why he had agreed to the smaller event which would take place in a few hours.

†††

Producing a low huff from the back of his throat, Kyoya pushed his way past the set of double doors, his sapphire eyes scanning the room. The international teams, with a few exceptions, had made an appearance: Lovushka, Desert Blaze, Excalibur, Dungeon and a few others. They all appeared to be having a good time, conversing and dancing to some sort of synth-pop song. He hated it already, even more so when he realized that Benkei had spotted him. _May God have mercy on my soul …_

"B-b-b-b-b-b-bull! Kyoya, old buddy, you made it!" The self-proclaimed Masked Bull shouted, announcing his arrival.

Offering a slight nod of his head, the Legendary Blader of Spring watched as Nile and Demure came into view, each brandishing a roguish smile.

"So … this is what Japan's like," the Egyptian chuckled. "Hard to imagine you as a city guy, Tategami."

Kyoya grunted softly; if Nile thought this city was his home, he was sadly mistaken. Unlike Benkei, Kenta, and Madoka, the Leone wielder had been born in the former capital of Japan: Kyoto. To his mother, it had been the most beautiful place in the world, and so she had affectionately named him after the city of his birth. Pulled from his thoughts, Kyoya raised his head when he heard Madoka's voice. Apparently, a barbecue was being hosted on the terrace, and without any warning Benkei perked up like a lovestruck puppy.

"Say no more, Madoka!" He crowed, moving faster than Kyoya or anyone else would've thought possible.

"Should we go after him?" Demure asked.

"Only if you want to get something before the food disappears," Kyoya muttered, and with Benkei, Gingka and Masamune in one place he suspected that would be within the time span of five minutes or less.

Heading out onto the terrace, the rest of the teams were greeted by a long table of food, and a few oddly arranged pedestals with vases of freshly picked flowers. Probably courtesy of Madoka, he guessed. While most of the international teams kept to themselves, there were a few that chose to dine together. That was probably why Masamune had stuck with Team Dungeon as opposed to GanGan Galaxy who was eating alongside Wang Hu Zhong … and that irritating Chinese playboy, Chao Xin, who seemed to be strangely quiet and spacing out. From what little Kyoya knew of him, the self-absorbed brat never missed an opportunity to "flatter" the mechanic, so what on Earth had him so occupied?

"Hello, everyone! Nice to see you all," an enthusiastic voice echoed, hinting at the Director's arrival. _Nothing out of the ordinary, _Kyoya noted until he heard the soft click of heels. A moment later, Hikaru emerged from the shadows of the adjacent office. Instead of her normal navy blazer and short pencil skirt, she was wearing a white romper with laced sleeves, and a pair of white stilettos which accentuated her long, toned legs. "I hope everyone's enjoying themselves!"

"I am now," Chao Xin purred, briefly looking at his reflection in a pitcher of water. Rising from his seat, he straightened his jacket and headed for Ryo's assistant.

"Should we step in," Nile asked, easily seeing how this could go south.

Although irritated, Kyoya merely shook his head. "Watch and learn."

Doing as his former teammate instructed, Nile watched as Chao Xin swaggered toward the Ice Queen, or at least that was what Masamune had called her from the sidelines, getting far too close for comfort. Nile couldn't catch most of what was said, but he got the impression that the Chinese player had used a sleazy pick-up line. One which had failed, he noted as Hikaru looked neither flattered nor impressed. A moment later, her eyes grew cold as she took a step closer to the Chinese youth and whispered something which caused him to turn white as a sheet of paper, as she gripped the edge of his jacket and dropped him with a swift punch to the gut. Landing on the ground in a heap of limbs, uttering no more than a feeble squeak, Chao Xin curled into a foetal position, causing a dark chuckle to rumble in Kyoya's chest. Never one to shy away from impulse, Nile crossed the terrace and loomed over the Chinese male.

"From afar, it's hard to tell what hurts more … Your pride or your liver," the Egyptian muttered, feigning innocence.

Chao Xin hissed something in response, probably an expletive, but he was in too much pain for his words to be discernible.

Practically skipping back to his former teammates, Nile erupted with laughter. "I don't know who that girl was, but if she blades anything like she fights she must be a force to be reckoned with."

"Hikaru …"

"What?"

"Her name," Kyoya clarified.

Realizing that it took a lot to gain any recognition from his former captain, Nile paused, allowing his gaze to wander until it settled on the mysterious _Hikaru_ once more. "So is she a good blader?"

"She collected fifty thousand points not long after I did, and she was the only female who qualified for Battle Bladers."

"Points?" Demure spoke up, earning a strange look from Kyoya until realization sunk in. He frowned for a moment, recalling that – apart from Benkei – none of his former teammates had a counter. They probably never had any use for one, not in Africa, at least.

"Bey points," the Leone wielder explained, "equate to fiat money. They only have value in institutions designed for bladers."

"I see," Nile began, "so … you earn points by entering into tournaments?"

"Sometimes, but they can be won outside of them as well. A victory as a result of a sleep-out will earn a single point; a stadium-out will get two points."

Nile froze. "And … you said she obtained fifty thousand? She's … impressive; but, if she really is as good as you say, why didn't she compete in the World Championships? No offense to our rotund friend over there," he nodded toward Benkei who was currently trying to scarf down a shish kebab … or three, "but could you imagine what Wild Fang would've been like if you had convinced her to join?"

"I cannot," Kyoya muttered. In all truth and honesty, he didn't believe that he – never mind anyone else – could _convince_ Hikaru to do anything. That, and she had never bothered to explain why she had surrendered the opportunity to compete. He had always assumed it was so she could focus on her studies, or job as the Director's assistant. Besides, even if she had competed – and there was no doubt in his mind that she could've won – she would have chosen GanGan Galaxy. Wild Fang hadn't been formed at the time, and he doubted that she would have followed him simply for the sake of companionship.

"Well, I'd like to meet her."

This time it was Demure who took the opportunity to speak. "Why?"

Nile produced the flattest look possible, his eyes losing their natural emerald lustre. "Have you been paying attention? Beauty, drive and power – what's not to like? I don't know about you, but I have every intention of introducing myself to her. Who knows, perhaps one thing will lead to another and I'll have a date by the end of the night."

"You seriously want to end up like that dribbling idiot," Kyoya grunted while jabbing a thumb towards Chao Xin.

"Unlike that scoundrel, I have class and actually know how to please a woman."

The look that crossed his teammates' faces was priceless – an uncomfortable mixture of disgust and barely contained laughter.

"I knew you were strange from the beginning, but I didn't think you had suicidal tendencies."

Nile merely rolled his eyes in response. "Just watch me and weep," he quipped while smoothing out his jacket.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kyoya did just that as Nile approached Ryo's assistant. At first, the conversation appeared to be light and on equal ends pleasant; Nile was the perfect gentleman, making use of mildly flirtatious comments, and Hikaru didn't look like she would attack any time soon. But when the Egyptian made his true intentions known, it was as though a wall had formed around Hikaru, encasing her in a block of ice. Her eyes darkened, though her face remained neutral as she excused herself from the conversation and headed to where Ryo was laughing and exchanging mild banter with Kenta and Benkei.

"So … how'd it go?" Kyoya practically snickered.

"Believe it or not, I actually didn't get around to asking for a date."

"What pissed her off, then?"

"I asked if we could battle later and she completely shut me down."

"Maybe she doesn't consider you to be a challenge," Kyoya said, his dark voice nearing a condescending purr.

"I bet you'd get the same reaction from the Ice Queen." Nile taunted, coining the nickname Masamune had used.

"Unlikely," he replied. "Prior to Battle Bladers, she nearly gave me a run for my money, so to speak, if only we hadn't been interrupted by three trespassers."

"So she almost defeated _you_?" He asked in disbelief. While Nile knew that he was a good blader, although not one to brag, he also knew that Kyoya was at least five times as fierce and had enough endurance to back him up in the heat of battle. If Hikaru was anything like what his former captain said, she was arguably just as dangerous, if not more so …

"Yes; however, when we last fought, I emerged as the victor."

"How long ago was that?" He pressed; if it was recent, perhaps Kyoya was starting to lose his edge.

Kyoya frowned, it couldn't have been long after Battle Bladers had commenced. He recalled that Benkei had been fighting against Tsubasa, while Kenta had been facing off against those ridiculous Dark Nebula twins. Upon hearing this, Nile's vulpine smirk grew.

"Maybe you should challenge her to a battle," he began slowly. "I mean, her skills could've improved with time while yours could've–"

"Forming that sentence was a mistake, and if you comment on my prowess as a blader it will be your last." Kyoya growled, remaining rooted in place.

"Okay, okay … fine. But you really should; maybe its time that a queen sat upon the throne … even if she is a little frigid."

Kyoya's frown deepened. He admitted that it had been a while since he had battled such a talented blader, and Hikaru was a challenge … An interesting one at that, but if she had turned down Nile's offer, he wasn't certain that she would accept his.

Taking a sharp breath through his nose, he slowly approached her, watching as her eyes raked over his form with indifference …

_Just like the day we met_ … It had been during the Survival Battle, and he had heard a small commotion in the woods. He had entered a clearing, next to a burbling stream and crouched next to it had been Hikaru. She had looked familiar, but he had been unable to place it at the time. In retrospect, he realized that she had been there when he had used the Wild Wind Fang Dance against Gingka for the first time.

In the woods, though, her slender fingers had been in the water – perhaps inspecting it – but upon seeing him she had slowly risen to her feet, crossing the stream with an elegant bound. Her engineer boots had hardly disturbed the Earth as she landed several yards away from him. She had assessed him with indifference, while he had folded his arms and closed his eyes with a cocky smirk on his face. He had taunted her, saying that she should be an amusing opponent, and she had told him that they would see just who would be laughing when she beat him. He had nearly laughed outright at such audacity, but fury had rolled through his blood with a fiery passion.

_Not that different from now,_ he realized uncomfortably, though fury was not the source of it.

"Hikaru," he began, offering a slight nod of his head.

"Kyoya …" she replied, her tone somewhat pleasant but neutral as always; professional, he realized as she was waiting for him to continue.

"Let's battle."

She frowned, and for a moment Kyoya suspected that she would decline, treating him no differently than Nile but what she said next surprised him.

"Why?"

"What," he nearly choked, never having been asked a question like that before concerning a battle.

"You vowed to defeat the legendary bladers before challenging Gingka," she clarified. "I'm not one of them."

"I need a reason to battle with you?"

Hikaru sighed softly and conceded to give him one battle. Going to the edge of the terrace, she opened the small clutch purse she had been carrying, producing her karabiner launcher and Aquario. Clicking her bey into place, she took her position at the edge of the rooftop stadium, with Kyoya mirroring her stance.

"Hey, everyone!" Yu shrieked with excitement. "Yo-Yo and Hippity-Hop are gonna battle!"

†††

Looking with cautious eyes, Hikaru watched as Leone and Aquario landed in the stadium simultaneously. They almost looked as though they were dancing, twirling and weaving almost seductively alongside one another, but Hikaru knew better. Leone was circling her. In her mind, she could hear the soft scratch of his unsheathed claws, and to everyone else she appeared to be calm and collected. No one realized that she was petrified, willing and struggling to calm her racing heart. Now, it felt like there was an empty space between her chest and stomach, and she suddenly wasn't so sure that it had been a good idea to go along with the commencement of this battle.

When she saw a glint in Kyoya's sapphire eyes, hinting that he was ready to attack, she made Aquario vanish at the last possible moment. This earned her a growl from across the stadium and an exclamation of surprise from the former members of Team Wild Fang and everyone else who had chosen to watch.

"Kyoya, you never mentioned that her bey could disappear!"

"Kind of busy, Nile," the Legendary Blader of Spring snarled, his eyes searching the stadium for Aquario … which, at the moment, seemed impossible. If Demure couldn't find the water bearer by now, he didn't think he'd have much luck either. Pausing to think, he allowed his mind to travel back by about three years before a wicked smirk curved on his face. If he couldn't see Aquario, then he'd just have to shatter her illusion … "Lion Gale Force Wall!"

Kyoya grinned, watching as Leone swept through the stadium, his claws slashing and tearing down everything in his path in search of his prey. As for Hikaru, she steeled her resolve and literally dug her heels in to prevent her from sliding back any further. She was nervous, she could admit that, but she had faced much worse before. Even from Kyoya.

When the wind finally relented, however, the Leone wielder's eyes were furious – Aquario was still nowhere to be seen.

"Where are you hiding," he growled, for he could still hear the water-attributed blade even if he couldn't see it.

Even Chao Xin began to search for the blade, commenting that it was an ingenious move to conceal it.

Hikaru permitted a small smile. In his haste to find Aquario, Kyoya had actually swept it up into the air. He just didn't realize it yet, but he would soon enough … _In three, two, one …_

"What the hell," he roared as Aquario's storm fusion wheel sliced into his energy ring from above, momentarily giving her position away.

Bouncing back into the stadium, both beys appeared to have lost some momentum already, but Hikaru had to admit that the battle wasn't half bad. If anything, it felt strangely good, like flexing and stretching old muscles that had been locked up for some time.

_Maybe … maybe it's okay to battle again,_ she thought inwardly, her smile deepening a little while Kyoya's eyes darkened. He had suspected that she would put up a fight, but he had never expected to lose this much rotation speed before establishing what he and Leone could really do.

"Bahahaha," Yu shrieked with delight. "Yo-Yo's getting his butt kicked!"

"Oh, yeah!?" He grunted, his eyes narrowing into slits, "King Lion Tearing Blast!"

"Infinite Assault!" Hikaru countered, throwing Kyoya off his game once again as steam practically rose from his head. No one was entirely certain why Kyoya was having such a hard time concentrating, but it worked well in Hikaru's favour.

_That's it,_ Kyoya snarled inwardly. _Time to stop playing with her, Leone._

"Special move: King Lion Crushing Fang!"

This time when the tornado arose, Hikaru had no time to counter his attack. It was the strongest one she had ever seen before. A move she was witnessing for the first time as she watched Kyoya's eyes waver between blue and furious red. Just like Tsubasa. Just like Ryuga. He was angry, and she had no idea why he was taking it out on her as she struggled to keep her footing.

_There's no time to protect Aquario,_ she realized, remembering that bladers could feel what their bit-beasts felt. And right now, it felt like a million knives were piercing her body. She was struggling to breathe and felt herself becoming lightheaded as Aquario was swallowed up by the tornado – perhaps twenty feet in the air – before Leone struck out and sent it flying.

At that moment, she finally lost her footing and was sent wheeling back.

When the wind and dust cleared, everyone knew that Kyoya had won – just like last time, Aquario had managed to land a few yards behind him.

_Did you see that, Nile? And to think you had the nerve to insult my–_

Kyoya's inner monologue stopped short when he realized that no one was cheering or even telling Hikaru that she would have better luck next time. Instead, most of them had rushed by, worry etched onto their faces.

_Oh, no …_

In the heat of their battle, Hikaru had been sent flying, and had it not been for a strangely placed pedestal and the thin railing she could've gone over the side of the building. If her trajectory had been off by a few more inches, she would've been nothing more than a bloody stain on the sidewalk below.

Pushing past everyone, Kyoya felt his heart stop when he saw his unintended handiwork. Hikaru was lying at his feet, as still and as frail as a leaf – as though a single, careless touch would crumple her. The pedestal next to her had fallen, the pink petals slowly descending to the ground, some drawn to her hair and body while others were drawn to the spilt water … now tinged red. Blinking, Kyoya now realized that a glass shard from the broken vase was embedded in the palm of Hikaru's right hand …

Her eyes were sad, as though she had lost something dear to her heart, and with caution she used her other hand to support herself as she rose to her feet. Carefully, she removed the glass which had now been stained red and began to move wordlessly. Everyone moved out of her way as she went to retrieve Aquario.

As she went to leave, a guttural baritone called out and she stilled, waiting to see what he could possibly want now.

"Wait, Hikaru!" Kyoya yelled, racing to catch up with her with a few people in tow, including the Director. "Hikaru, I swear to God I never meant to–"

She immediately cut him off by placing her left hand against his face, framing it with her slender fingers. (In that moment, everyone looked nervous. Kyoya never permitted anyone to touch his face or come within the general vicinity of his scars. Not that anyone had ever dared to, but it was an unofficial generally accepted rule held by the entire group.)

"It's not your fault," she whispered, implying that it was someone else's before pulling away and leaving Kyoya cold. Now he was the one who felt as though he had lost something, watching with muted pain he couldn't describe as Hikaru turned around the corner and vanished. Just like Aquario.

†††

When Hikaru left, Ryo could immediately tell how everyone felt, and as such he thought it was right to tell them why Hikaru had reacted the way she had. He told them of the final matches and last minute changes of Battle Bladers. He told them of how Blader DJ had ordered everyone to evacuate the stands and arena when things got too violent, following the match between Reiji and Hyoma.

How everyone had ran away, fleeing for their very lives as Ryuga's dark move had been unleashed. The Dragon Emperor Soaring Bite Strike. The one person who hadn't been able to get away was Hikaru. The cameras had kept rolling, even while the bystanders fled. A burst of light, like a concentrated ray of lightning had shot out from the stadium, rushing up at the wielder of Aquario. It had torn the seats apart, ripped through concrete and shattered the bases of nearby skyscrapers belonging to the Dark Nebula. It had been horrific, and, by some miracle, Hikaru had managed to survive.

Gingka shuddered at the memory.

"I remember … When he was laughing," Gingka whispered, still unsure what to say since it had been L-Drago controlling Ryuga, and since said blader had vanished since doing his part to create Flash Sagittario. "… when I turned Hikaru over, her shirt turned red and her stomach was bleeding …"

Ryo nodded. "The WBBA's medical team managed to heal her a little, so she could congratulate you when you won, but she was probably in pain the entire time. However, her troubles don't start or end there, I'm afraid. You see, Hikaru was diagnosed with PTSD – unpleasant things, memories, thoughts and sounds are enough to trigger it. They also discovered some other unpleasant things, but I won't go into detail about that …"

"What unpleasant things," Kyoya said quietly, his voice sounding distant and unlike him.

"… Are you absolutely sure you want to know? It's … personal and not something that should easily be repeated."

"Not a word," Kyoya promised, his fingers crossed behind his back where no one could see. If the occasion called for it, he had every intention of bringing it up … depending on what was shared with him.

Sighing softly, Ryo explained that the physicians had reported to him, considering his position in the WBBA and the fact that Hikaru seemed to have no one else … "Gingka is somewhat … correct when he says that Hikaru's stomach was bleeding. The doctors determined that she sustained external and internal injuries as a result of her battle against Ryuga … It was heavily implied that she may never be able to have children of her own."

"That's horrible," Sophie and Madoka murmured, each casting a glance at two particular boys: Wales and Gingka.

"It is," Ryo agreed, "but there's more … With the exception of the international teams, most of you realize that Hikaru's mission was to fulfill her mother's dream …"

"I heard about that," Benkei admitted.

"Yes; she wanted to fulfill her mother's dying wish," Ryo murmured, causing Kyoya's eyes to widen. "You see, Hikaru's mother died as the result of a strange disease – lymphangioleiomyomatosis, or LAM for short. All we know is that it struck quickly, and the paperwork indicates that it ended her life when she was only thirty-three years old … And … unfortunately, this version is hereditary."

"What?" Kyoya nearly choked, hoping he hadn't heard right.

"It isn't necessarily successive, but there is a high possibility that Hikaru could test positive for the illness. You see, LAM only targets females, most of whom are diagnosed between twenty and forty years old and there is no cure for it. The physicians who I spoke with advised her to stop blading, so the disease doesn't run its course … prematurely, but ultimately it was Hikaru's decision to quit."

Kyoya quickly did the math, feeling his blood run cold. Hikaru was seventeen years old – only slightly older than him. "She only has thirteen years left …"

"That's what they think, anyway …"

Kyoya couldn't fathom what that was like for Hikaru … Waking up, watching every sunrise and sunset, knowing that you were a day closer to your last. Knowing that the date had been predetermined – set in black and white on a medical sheet. She'd probably never be able to purchase her first house. Never be able to build a life with …

_Stop it._

Allowing his eyes to wander, he realized that Hikaru had left behind her launcher and purse. Carefully gathering both, he turned to face Ryo.

"Do you know where she went?"

"Probably walked home … She usually leaves around six o'clock anyway."

Kyoya paused; he knew Hikaru was tough – perfectly capable of looking after herself – but he also knew that the streets could be a _rough_ place. Especially at night. But once he had acquired the scars and his status as the leader of the Face Hunters, things had _changed_ … It was like people couldn't get out of his way fast enough. But Hikaru was different. People were drawn to her … Her confidence. Her power. Her looks. Her reputation as the world's strongest female blader. People noticed her – she was a walking target.

And if enough people noticed her … things could get ugly.

"Where does she live?"

Ryo gave him the address, but also told him that Hikaru could just as easily pick up her belongings tomorrow. But by the time he had finished speaking, Kyoya had already left.

†††

In the comfort of her small apartment, Hikaru took a warm shower and switched into a tank top and a pair of fluffy pants, almost ready to call it a day when a knock sounded at her door. Unlocking it, though leaving the chain in place, she peered outside and was confronted by a dishevelled Kyoya. His hair was a little wilder than usual and his eyes told her he had a lot on his mind.

"Hey," she murmured, sliding the chain aside so they could properly see one another.

"Hey."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Reaching inside his jacket, Kyoya produced her purse. "You left it behind with your launcher."

Blinking, Hikaru accepted the items, her right hand now bandaged from earlier.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What do you mean," she pressed, stepping back so he could enter the apartment, closing the door behind himself.

"You stopped blading … and you never once said anything about it – before or after choosing to accept my offer to battle."

Hikaru's eyes narrowed – despite what Kyoya thought, that wasn't an offer. "I don't see how it's any of your business."

"You could've had a panic attack or worse …"

As soon as the words escaped his lips, Kyoya wished he could've taken them back but it was too late. Hikaru now knew that he was no longer in the dark.

"… It was my decision, Kyoya; contrary to what most people think, I don't need your approval or anyone else's prior to making a choice. If I want to quit, I'll do it on my terms. If I want to battle for the sake of battling again, that's my choice as well." She replied, her tone just as professional as it was at the WBBA.

For once, Kyoya was involuntarily speechless until Hikaru saw something waver in his eyes.

"Even so … you could've told me. I wouldn't have pressed the issue."

"Are you being serious?" Now the Leone wielder looked downright confused. "From what I've heard and seen, you're not exactly the type of guy who likes having friends or generally being considerate of others. You may be in denial about it, but I think you know that Benkei is the closest thing you have as a friend and I've seen how you interact with him. You barely tolerate his presence, never mind anyone else's. We're acquaintances – not friends, so why would I impose my troubles on you?"

If Kyoya had been gearing up to say anything before, it had just been destroyed. Soundly. For the first time in his life, he wished that he could say she was wrong – that he did possess good qualities and had what it took to be a friend. But he knew she was right: when he and Gingka had fought after his return from Wolf Canyon, the younger male had asked him about his maltreatment of Benkei – he had sneered at the thought of being connected to him by friendship. When he had shown up in America, during the Spiral Force incident, it hadn't been for the sake of helping anyone – he had only been interested in Ryuga's presence. When asked by Tithi why he had fought against Nemesis, he had made it very clear that he had not done so in order to save the world – it had mostly been for his own benefit; if the world and its inhabitants were destroyed, that included him.

Sighing softly, Hikaru strode past him and removed a small aquamarine kettle from her cabinet. Filling it with water, she produced two cups from the dishrack and waited to see if the Legendary Blader of Spring had anything else to say. When she saw that wasn't the case, she felt a twinge of guilt, even though it didn't have a basis. Maybe it was simply from the fact that she could've said things differently … However, she took no issue with the question she posed. How could Kyoya possibly be serious? They weren't friends – they only had mutual acquaintances and that wasn't enough of a reason for her to tell him about the personal details of her life.

"Look, just forget that I said anything … I was out of line," she murmured, reaching up to get two packages of tea when she felt a strong presence behind her. Pausing, her hand still poised in the air, she felt the heat radiating from Kyoya's body as he gently wrapped his hand around hers. As a result, she nearly had the urge to shout in irritation. _What could he possibly want now?_

"I'm sorry," he whispered, causing Hikaru's eyes to widen when she realized that his fingers were gently brushing over the area where the shard had pierced her hand.

"It's not your fault, Kyoya," she said for the second time that day. "I knew I wasn't ready to battle, but I pushed myself anyway. I wanted to see if my old fears still affected me as they did during the World Championships – now I know."

Without warning, he spun her around to face him, the quick movement nearly causing her to land on the counter in pure shock. Her eyes blazed with indignance, while his shone with renewed determination.

"Let's make a deal – I'll try to change my outlook on people in general, and you continue to fight until you're strong enough to battle again."

She had the urge to backhand him, but she relented as her heartbeat returned to normal.

"Kyoya … change may be possible for you, but it's not in my case … and maybe that's the way it's supposed to be."

"What on Earth are you speaking about," he nearly snarled, caging her in by placing his hands on the countertop.

"Battle Bladers," she murmured. "Out of the three of us – me, you and Tsubasa – perhaps its better that things turned out the way they did. GanGan Galaxy needed Tsubasa to win the World Championships and to stop Spiral Force. The entire world – the universe, probably – needed you to protect it from Nemesis. In my case … it wouldn't have made a difference. No one needs me, Kyoya. I could be killed on my way to work tomorrow – maybe in a car accident, or perhaps a run-in with the wrong person – and the world would still continue to spin just as it always has. The sun would rise and set the same way … Children would still go to school and learn about the alphabet … People would still participate in bey battles … with no one the wiser."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed into slits once more, and he could feel his blood pressure rising. He knew Hikaru wasn't aware of it, but after he had learned of LAM, he found it ironically cruel that she was throwing the concept of death around in a casual manner.

Without thinking, he slammed his fist against the countertop, causing Hikaru to jump and accidentally brush against him in fright. Realizing that she had to put a stop to whatever it was, she quickly grabbed the packages of tea and shouldered her way out of his makeshift cage, going to turn off the stove before the water got too hot.

"What on Earth is wrong with you!?" He roared, receiving no response from Hikaru as she prepared the beverages, her eyes downcast.

When a cup was offered to him, he felt the urge to smash it against the floor but refrained from doing so. Seeing as he wasn't going to accept it, Hikaru huffed softly, placing it back on the counter until he decided otherwise or left the apartment. As she alluded to before, she wasn't going to impose anything on him.

Bringing her own cup to her lips, she gently blew away some of the steam, her eyes never once leaving Kyoya … just in case he chose to throw another tantrum.

"You're wrong," he grunted, his statement blunt and seemingly pointless until he continued speaking. "It would make a difference – people do need you."

"First of all, Ryo doesn't count – the Immortal Phoenix will always need _someone_ – who doesn't necessarily have to be me – to keep him in check," she chuckled before taking a sip. "And I never thought you were a liar until now."

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon, Kyoya – you don't need to sugar-coat things for me. I know I may not be worth much, but I'm not stupid. Trust me when I say it wouldn't change a thing. A funeral could be held, and Ryo would easily find a new assistant in a week or so. No one needs me."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

"Fine," she conceded, in no way believing him as she set her tea aside and folded her arms across her chest, "excluding Ryo, name one person who would be impacted by my death."

When Kyoya said nothing, she retrieved her mug and headed for her armchair, curling her feet beneath her.

"That's what I thought …"

"… Me."

"What?"

"Should I spell it out for you? K-Y-O-Y-A. Me," he said, pointing at his chest.

"You would be impacted by my death? … I guess if I died, you'd lose a would-be rival – one less person for you to dominate and prove yourself against in the stadium."

"No …"

"Then why?"

Exhaling softly, Kyoya crossed the expanse of the room, stopping so he could lean forward – his head nuzzled in the space between Hikaru's neck and shoulder.

"Beats the hell out of me," he growled against the curve of her ear, nearly causing her to squirm, "because I don't have a fucking clue …"

†††

Once things cooled down, Kyoya had finished his beverage – although, somewhat reluctantly – and left the apartment with a firm snap of the door. Following his strangely cryptic words, not much else had been exchanged between the teens. They had watched some television in silence, only stopping when Hikaru's phone buzzed, reminding her that the WBBA had to hold a small conference the following day.

As the Legendary Blader of Spring left, Hikaru couldn't help but stare after his broad-shouldered form as he stalked down the street below her apartment before rounding the corner and disappearing into the night. In that moment, neither could've guessed that in two years' time, things would be very different indeed.

Gingka would finally taste the bitter sting of defeat for the first time, courtesy of Kyoya and Fang Leone.

And Hikaru would discover just what the Leone wielder had been trying to say when he cornered her in that suede armchair.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**

**All canon characters, material and content (c) Takafumi Adachi**

**Original characters, material and content (c) KYL-T7**

* * *

The celestial tribunal murmured amongst themselves – a foreboding sense of dread looming over their heads. It could not possibly be true – even if this man was who he claimed to be, there was no way that he could execute his threat. The original power had withered away a long time ago – it had preserved the life of the Legendary Blader of Summer.

"No traces of such power should even exist apart from the archer," Kronos muttered irritably. "It is time that you stopped fretting over ghosts."

"'Ghosts,' you say?"

"Of course," he reiterated. "When that foolish child tried to engage in single combat with Nemesis, he narrowly escaped the clutches of death, itself. It was all thanks to his own spirit that the boy was spared."

"He is not a boy anymore … and even so," Aquario spoke, "we should investigate this stranger's claims."

Despite her words, Scythe Kronos merely rolled his eyes; he and his brethren were legendary spirits – the same ones who had fought against the Black Sun. Suddenly an outsider shows up and they are ready to entertain such nonsense … It did not sit well with the cloaked being.

Supressing the urge to speak, he watched with a calculated indifference as the doors parted and silence reigned over the hall of the heavens. _Could one person truly possess such a level of authority,_ he wondered. It was practically unheard of, or so he believed as the hooded figure swept across the glass-like floor. His spider-black shroud was darker than the uncharted depths of space and matter, his steps resulting in lightning and small bursts of stars.

Upon reaching the circle before the Court, he came to a halt making no attempt to speak.

Turning to face the leader of the zodiac – their king, for all intents and purposes, by conquest and election – Kronos narrowed his gaze, urging Leone to say something. Anything, really, to get a reaction from the hooded stranger. Rising to his paws from the throng of veiled stars, the lion stalked down the stairs, his flanks bristling as he felt the guarded gaze of the brotherhood upon his mane. Coming to stand before the stranger, he transformed himself into a man – donning Spartan regalia and brandishing a sword at his side.

Raising his head, a spark of recognition swept through Leone's hazel-wood eyes.

"Leōn," he said, the very mention of the traditional name causing his hackles to rise.

"Drákōn." He replied with a mock inclination of his head.

Narrowing his gaze, Leone stared at berry-tinted orbs – a sickening, unstable colour, cured by animosity. "I assume you are prepared to address the tribunal."

Drákōn asserted his position with a cold gleam in his eyes, as the younger celestial bodies trained their spears on his figure, fearful for their king's life. Not that he had any intention of harming the monarch, no matter how estranged. Having taken a seat upon the throne, he watched as its branches converged to form the face of a lion.

"Proceed," Leone murmured, his tone guarded and impartial.

"Tell me – legendary spirits – how does it feel to have bladers?"

For a moment, they were shocked at the blatant audacity of such a question before reaching a consensus. The humans– their bladers were their partners. Their family. Their children and equals.

"Interesting; as I recall, Orion was utilized as a tool – a means to an illegitimate end for that 'blader for hire.' What of Aquario – your human retired … Hasn't even launched for the sake of spending time with you–"

"Don't you dare speak of her!" Aquario roared threateningly.

"As we all know, if we are chained– _enslaved_ to these humans, we have no free will. And what of you, Leōn and Pḗgasos – your humans compete for _sport_. _Recklessly_. The mare has been subjected to merciless endeavours – whether it be for the fate of the Earth or mere competition. Have the humans ever extended their gratitude towards her – do they feel any for the grace bestowed? Or you, _Your Majesty_," Drákōn snarled softly. "Is it not true that the Legendary Blader of Spring nearly ended your life as you knew it on Earth? Did he not make you yield to your tears as you submitted to his will?"

For what felt like an eternity, the tribunal stilled, each trapped in their own jaded thoughts. Drákōn could not be trusted, yet his words were valid … Cancer (or "Gasher" as he had been more commonly known) had been commanded– used by Tetsuya Watarigani to harm and lay traps for the innocent. Kronos had been garnished to seek revenge on behalf of the Beylin Fist. "Striker" or Monoceros had been cultivated to allow an arrogant child – Masamune Kadoya – to achieve his personal pursuits, without so much as a "thank you." The eagle had morphed into a monster due to mind-numbing pain … The list, essentially, went on with no end in sight. Despite the numerous cases, Leone wasn't prepared to pass judgement. Not yet.

Despite all of these terrible things, he and Kyoya rarely fought any more … Their thoughts were often one in the same. You could not describe one without realizing that you were speaking of the other, as well. It was impossible. They were a team – two halves of the same whole.

"What do you propose we – the Court – do about these allegations?"

From the smirk he received, he could tell that Drákōn had been waiting for that question.

"The Court," he repeated mockingly. What had they ever done for him? When man had stolen his power – _raw and untainted_ – they had used him to perform the work of evil, while his comrades had looked on. He had been alive and completely dead, all at once, as he had laid armies and legions of the innocent to rest. "You need not exercise your discretion."

"Come again," Kronos rasped, breaking his silence.

"Do not concern yourselves – I can see it in your eyes. You will protect your humans; the war I intend to wage is mine alone."

"What do you mean 'protect?' Protect them from what?"

"Remember this," Drákōn growled, "my eyes were always watching … Rid the universe of the species that hath spawned the greatest sorrow – those who sinned against the innocent. Or stand alongside _them_– your captors, and fall as I purge this world of its deadliest disease."

Admittedly, every spirit present feared for their safety and that of their respective bladers, but there were those who still questioned the validity of the threat.

"How do you propose to execute such a threat," Kronos asked in a saucy tone.

"I do not issue threats … only warnings."

Without another word, the shroud of darkness swept his hood to the side and Leone immediately felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Drákōn had adopted a new form …

†††

J.T. frowned, for he could not understand the looks of concern etched onto the faces of those around him. The owners of TC were the exception – they were the blue-haired devil's parents; it was their job to be concerned … but the others confused him. They were all behaving as though a best friend's life hung by a mere thread instead of seeing the situation for what it really was. Regardless of his current state, that bastard had hurt Theodore. He had exerted far more ferocity than what any bey battle could warrant, rendering the Australian manager unconscious.

It had been … brutal, to say the least, yet these fools were acting like kicked, lovesick puppies. _Especially that bitch …_ he seethed internally. His eyes were magnetically drawn to Anashi, and it infuriated him to no end. He could remember that day in the training facility when Miyako had approached him. She had swaggered over with all the confidence in the world, her eyes shining with appreciation for his form. It was obvious that she liked him, and if asked he had to admit that she was hot, as well. She had voluminous silky hair, smooth skin and gorgeous eyes, but he had been far more _preoccupied _… by a certain brunette.

Upon seeing Anashi for the first time, he had felt his heart still. He had been drawn to her innocent autumn-coloured eyes, rosy lips and her body had practically begged for his attention. He would never admit it, but he had never felt such a rush upon seeing a girl who made him lose all control. He had just barely managed to keep himself in check – trying to play it off by acting suave and charming – but everything in his head had told him that she would be an entertaining little thing if he could have his way with her.

He had even gone as far as tracking down which hotel she and the rest of the team had been staying at to connect with her. He had written a letter, leaving it in front of the team's room, asking that she meet him by the port. But in the following hours of the next day he had found the very same letter in front of his own doorway, ripped to pieces. It had pissed him off – it still did, but it made him all the more curious to know more about her. It added to her allure.

He could envision it … even now. He could just picture what it would be like – what it would _feel_ like to hear her soft cries as he pinned her up against a wall and took–

"**Fuck!**" He hissed as a searing wave of pain washed over his head, causing everyone to look up from what they were doing. "**Uh, sorry … Just a headache. I'm just gonna go get some water.**"

Excusing himself from the group he headed for the vending machine, only to stop when he heard a gravel-like voice speak up from behind him. Turning to face the medical assistant stationed at the front desk, his frown deepened.

"**What did you just say to me**?"

Looking up, as though pulled from the trance of her work, her brow furrowed. "_**I**_** didn't say anything.**"

Huffing, he turned to the kiosk, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw his reflection. Blood was slowly starting to trickle down the side of his face, collecting at the curve of his ear. Pulling his hood over his head, he quickly darted into the nearest restroom, having forgotten the woman. Once he was securely inside, he locked the door and shook his hood to the side, only to see that blood was still slowly seeping from his head.

Turning the faucet, he collected some warm water with his hands, watching as his fingertips were stained red as he attempted to wash away the coagulating substance. Reaching for a small dispenser of paper towels, he held a clump to the side of his head, only to pull away a bloody mass of paper. Frowning, he threw it away and pressed close to the mirror, brushing his hair to the side to examine the damage. There, entrenched in the bed of blonde roots, were three distinct bloody claw marks. Before he could investigate further, he felt the room's temperature drop to the point where he was glad that he had donned a sweater. As he got ready to leave, the lights flickered, and he felt a strange weight encircle his neck. Thinking nothing of it, he brushed the feeling away until it returned vehemently, seizing the column of his throat before he could reach the deadbolt.

As he struggled to catch a breath, a cave-like voice ghosted above the curve of his ear. It was a strange feeling – to want to squirm under a scorching grasp but held in place by a venomously subarctic voice.

_Harm my sacrificial Flame … and I will slash more than your scalp … Understand?_ the voice whispered as an invisible tail lovingly drew itself over his Adam's apple.

Nodding – anything to make the invisible force release its hold on his neck – J.T. watched as the lights flickered once more. Briefly, he wondered if it was merely his imagination, as his vision was beginning to blur in response to the burning sensation in his lungs … but his thoughts were soon dismissed. Completely.

In the very centre of the mirror he had looked into only moments before, there was a strangely carved smiley face. Its eyes had been scratched out – claw marks forming 'x's in their place – and, although it was smiling, it was nothing more than a messy maw as the tongue had been ripped from its mouth and had been drawn off to the side … bloody and raw.

†††

In an isolated region of the world – far from the reach of man – a figure was poised against a mountainside, watching as the valley below was submerged by a blanket of mist. The weather was growing colder and soon it would be time to move on. Almost twenty years ago he had felt the resurgent presence of a familiar power … and he could feel it even now. It had been a non-stop hunt … Chasing after something he thought had been lost in the shadow of time. Sometimes the presence was strong, burning like an inferno, and at other times it ceased to exist. A capricious beacon.

Everything – his instincts and his general perception of the world around him – told him that some of the answers could be found in Japan. A thought which caused his stomach to turn sour. The terrain was minimal, but the population was … _daunting_. He would be recognized in a matter of moments if the right person or crowd saw him. Even worse than that, there were familiar faces – people who he knew and who knew him in return. He was not ready to bridge that gap.

Following the events of the would-be apocalypse, he had retreated from the known world, content to live in the margins of society as he had begun to map out what his next course of action would be. It had been relatively simple _at the time_ … Recover. Regroup. Finding the few that remained of his clan had been difficult – most had died off years ago and there were little to no leads to the living.

After six years of searching, he had felt the acidic twinge of acceptance, prepared to admit that there were none left in the world. Prepared to admit that he was the last … only to stand corrected when a pair of youngsters had happened upon his training grounds. It had been strange then, finding humans who carried _that _scent. Well, to be fair, it had only been one of them – a half-breed with some potential, while the other merely had strange knowledge of the clan and its history. Strange, but not useful.

He had battled against the older of the two – who had been no match for him, of course. His skills had been too tight; the redhead had not trusted his blade … not until his blood had awakened and the roar of the mythical beast could be heard in his veins. As strange as it was, it had renewed that spark within him … and so he had continued to search. He did not expect to find many others – the Highlanders were exceptionally elusive, and due to their decreasing ranks, it was truer than ever – but he still had the feeling that there were others. Somewhere.

As fate would have it, he was right. He had found them … though they were not the ones he remembered. He had been asleep for a long time. Those that he had found were not of his generation … They acted similarly, spoke similarly, but they were different nonetheless. Even so, he had made an effort to know them. To understand them and their new way of life. Their customs had not changed, but their survival methods had. They were often considered to be gypsies, although dabbling in nothing of the sort, and viewed as nomads.

He smirked wryly at the thought. The term 'nomads' implied that they travelled from place to place. That 'home' was wherever they happened to be on any given day. Utter nonsense, in his opinion. The entire Earth was their domain. Their battlefield. Their kingdom. Their home … everyone else just happened to be in it.

One of them had tried to convince him otherwise – a young doe-eyed little thing – claiming that the world was big enough for everyone to share. He had never been so furious in relation to the clan. To a clan member. Society had driven the Highlanders to the edge of the Earth – like every other human he had met, they constantly criticized what they did not understand and eradicated what they couldn't.

Despite his objection to her claims, she had merely brushed his concerns to the side; she said that it was in the past and that it was not right to seek retribution for crimes committed by those who had long since passed. That it was not right to seek vengeance against those who were of this generation – those who were far too young to have caused the problems which he took issue with.

He hated her.

He hated her for those careless words. Especially considering that those words had been directed at _him_. He hated her even more because she had been right. He hated her for keeping him company on those stormy, snow-ridden nights on the mountainside. He hated her for even talking to him, filling his head with little details of the world or the day as he travelled the foothills. He hated her for growing older and gaining the attention of the remaining males within the clan. He hated her for confessing that she did not care about them. He hated her for saying that she would be there if he ever wanted someone to speak to. He hated her for saying that if he wanted to take his anger out on anyone that it could be her. He hated her for being his first and last …

He hated her for that hesitant but needed kiss one cold night in November. He hated her for the searing memory of her lying beneath him on the cave floor, the small fire dancing only a few feet away from her head as her eyes had sparkled with love. He hated her for those gentle, expressive eyes which he had gazed into as he had consummated their strange relationship. He hated her for giving him something he thought he would never want. He hated her for being his family. He hated her for having the ability to create the unique child he now called his son – a tiny baby who had the perfect combination of her floral scent and his.

He hated her for heading down to that blasted village with their clanmates. He hated her for being cornered by those miserable wretches. He hated her for not being strong enough to protect herself from the villagers. Hated her for being found lifeless and bloody, her clothes ripped from her body as rain fell from sky like angelic tears trying to wash away the carnage. Hated her for leaving him to raise their child on his own. Hated her the most for every making him fall into an all-consuming love with a weak creature, such as herself. Hated her for leaving him …

He would never find another like her, and he prayed to God that he never would … Because if he did, he would kill it on sight … Just to save himself the muted agony of feeling his heart ripped from his chest.

With a low huff, watching as his breath turned white against the cold night air, he turned, prepared to enter the mouth of the cave. He still had some packing to do – extra clothes and supplies until he could find more. Once he was inside, he found an old, military-styled rucksack. It had a special compartment and was waterproof. That is what he would use to carry Addison. Trekking down a perilous mountainside was dangerous enough as it was – even for the most agile of people and the storm did not look like it would be calming down anytime soon. If he wanted to make it to the pass before the snowstorm sealed it, he would have to leave within the hour.

Once he had finished packing, he prodded at his fire, urging it to do its job faster. When he saw the small columns of steam arise from the liquid, he moved the pot to the cave floor, letting it cool until he could transfer it to a bottle. Once he did, he headed to the back of the cave where his son slept, content and warm in a bundle of blankets and ancient furs. As though the sounds of his footsteps had been enough, the tiny baby boy opened his eyes, revealing a pair of amber coloured orbs.

With a swoop of his arm he held the child close and took a seat near the fire. Offering the bottle to his son, he watched as Addison greedily gulped down its contents, pausing every few moments or so to cough before continuing. Truth be told, he did not expect the three month old to finish the entire thing, but he had a long walk ahead of him with no intention of stopping for a foreseen reason such as nourishment.

When the tiny baby could not eat anymore, he placed the bottle off to the side and watched as his son slept against his chest. Combing his fingers through the child's soft white hair, he casted a dark glance at the mouth of the cave before returning it to the fire. He had no intention of putting it out – the wind would kill it – and he did not plan to return to this place. Ever again. He was not sure where he would go, nor how he would get there apart from his own feet, but it had to be better than living out the rest of his days in the valley.

Deciding that it was time to leave, he gathered the rest of his belongings and made sure to dress Addison in accordance with the severity of the weather bearing down on them. Placing a tiny hood over the child's head, he secured him in the compartment of the rucksack, pulling the flap down so the wind would not nip at his face should it change its direction.

Shrugging into a long, heavy coat, securing the hood over his head, he tugged at a piece of cloth so that his only visible facial features were his eyes. Checking on Addison once more, he hoisted the rucksack onto his shoulders and slid a pair of lined leather gloves onto his hands.

It was time to find his Dragon.

* * *

**Hello, everyone; I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I've decided to use this space to answer a few reviews.**

**Guest Review (Feb. 20th) - Chapter 7:** Thanks for compliment; I appreciate it. I'm glad that you find the story to be interesting and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

**hi (Mar. 30th) - Chapter 8:** I'm glad that you like the story, and even more so that you like the way I chose to depict Kyoya and Hikaru. (What I find is that a lot of people tend to create OCs - some of which are the children of canon characters - but they usually fail to establish how these characters were introduced/created in the canon setting. That's kind of why I created the periodic chapters - to provide additional insight and stuff that would be labelled as "off-screen" content.) Additionally, I chose to depict the aforementioned characters this way because I thought it would add to the complexity of their relationship. I didn't want to create a story where Kyoya and Hikaru magically fall in love and then Hikoya suddenly appears. I wanted to explore different aspects of their personalities and what they might experience together and apart from one another. _(Ex. What does Hikaru really experience now that she no longer battles?)_

**That's all for now; don't be afraid to leave a comment/review, as I would like to know what my readers think about the chapters/content of "A Threat Close to Home."**

**P.S. - If you would like to know more about this story and its characters, please visit DeviantArt; at this website you can view drawings of the characters featured in this story (both original and canon), as well as some additional content such as journals, sketches and character bios.**

**\- KYL-T7**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**

**All canon characters, material and content (c) Takafumi Adachi**

**Original characters, material and content (c) KYL-T7**

***The final words/stanza at the end of this chapter are from the poem, "The Tyger," by William Blake.***

* * *

Frowning, Rika gently pushed around the food on her plate, the tines of her fork catching the glare of the luminous chandelier overhead. The last few days had been strange to say the least – upon awakening, the girls had a flight to catch to Myanmar and Hikoya's parents announced that they were going to temporarily pull him from the international circuit. Both suspected that he would return before the next round in the World Championships, but Rika wasn't so sure. In fact, she wouldn't hold it against the couple if they chose to remove their son from the team altogether … As the team's manager, she had received a dossier pertaining to each member. However, due to the fact that she had known the girls since childhood, she had been quick in her examination of the files and had forgone _his_. At the time, she had figured that it would be easy to become acquainted with the violet-eyed male, but Hikoya had proven her wrong. Very wrong.

"Rika, are you okay?"

Blinking a few times to bring her world into focus, the Japanese manager soon realized that it was Kotomi who had spoken. At first, she thought to brush her friend's concern to the side, but she knew better. Kotomi was like a mother or a big sister for the group – she looked out for everyone as best she could and practically doubled as a human lie detector. She would know right away that something was up if Rika chose to be dismissive, so that left her with one option. Honesty.

"I don't really … know."

"Well, what's on your mind," the Taurus wielder inquired, gaining the attention of Miyako and Anashi.

With a sigh, Rika quietly explained the guilt that was gnawing away at her sides – how she felt that she wasn't being useful to the team or acting as a good leader in Hikoya's absence. Even more than that, what _did_ they truly know of their team captain? He was a rather secretive person, and Rika was certain they hadn't gotten a glimpse of a fraction of his true self. And that scared her the most.

"You make him sound super mysterious," Miyako spoke up, earning a set of strange looks, "but he isn't. Haven't you guys figured it out, yet? He's a sourpuss – a loner. There's nothing special about him. He just acts that way to be edgy – like some sort of theatrical defense mechanism because he isn't comfortable with his masculinity."

Narrowing her eyes, Rika reached into her bag and fished out her mini laptop. After a moment and a few keystrokes, she pulled up the data she had shared with Anashi a few days ago.

"What's that supposed to be?"

"Take a closer look," Rika challenged her, replaying the video footage at a slower pace. When Miyako and the others saw what was on the screen, a wry smirk crossed Rika's face. "Still think he's just being edgy, huh?"

"B-but how …?"

Rika shrugged as she enlarged the frozen frame, zooming in until Leone's facebolt could be seen with undeniable clarity.

"Now you know – reverse rotation, and perhaps even more importantly … no bit-beast. Raises a few eyebrows, doesn't it? I'd say there's a lot that we don't know about Tategami."

Kotomi shuddered; blades that rotated to the left were of a different _breed_. They carried a legacy darker than any and feared by all. She remembered the stories as a little girl, and the weight they carried. Apart from the Director, Kyoya and Hikaru, the adults often teased or coerced the children into doing what they wanted by playing on their fear of the dreaded L-Drago. After all, who wanted to tempt fate and be offered as a sacrifice to the bloodthirsty creature for simply being a picky eater? Or refusing to clean their room? Sounded extreme, but to desperate parents (with headstrong girls) it got the job done.

"So … do you think we should ask him about it when he comes back?" Anashi asked softly.

"Technically, he isn't doing anything wrong. Not having a bit-beast, especially as a blader of his calibre, is a little curious but there are plenty of people who battle without them. Granted, most of them are beginners," Rika admitted. "And besides, this is Grumpy Cat we're talking about here – what makes you think we can just ask him anything? The guy's locked up tighter than Fort Knox."

The corner of Anashi's mouth twitched; the same things had been assumed when she had requested a one-on-one training session with the violet-eyed male. And much to everyone's surprise, he had agreed with no qualms whatsoever. Granted, this situation was a bit touchier, but she knew she was capable of approaching it with caution. Besides, worst case scenario, he'd say, "No," or simply ignore the probing questions altogether.

"Um … maybe I could speak with him again?" The brunette squeaked.

Zeroing in on Anashi's timid demeanor, Miyako felt her eyebrow arch as she played around with one of her hoop earrings. It wasn't unlike Anashi to be the first to lend a hand, but this was _different_. _It can't be,_ she thought to herself, but she still had to check …

"What's with the sudden urge to spend more time with that freak?"

"He's not a freak," Anashi exclaimed, coming to his defense a little too quickly, and causing a look of distain to cross Miyako's countenance.

"Ugh, so I was right, after all … You're hot for Tategami."

As soon as those words were uttered, Rika's fork slipped from her grasp, clattering unpleasantly against her plate and earning the group a few sour looks. As for Anashi, her face was red like the blush-stained carpet of the restaurant.

"Is that true?" Kotomi whispered as she reached to place a hand on her shoulder, causing the brunette to visibly shrink lower in her seat.

Before anything could be said, Miyako started to chuckle softly, causing the others to glare.

Without a word, Anashi quickly rose up from her seat, nearly colliding with a waitress as she made a beeline for the door with Kotomi on her trail. By the time she caught up with her friend, Anashi had stopped running, choosing to enter an empty hall before sliding down to the floor and drawing her knees up to her chest. Watching as her teammate curled up into a ball of her own making, with nothing more than a plant pot as her cover, Kotomi slowly made her way closer.

Crouching so that they were at eye level, Kotomi gently pulled the brunette closer once she realized that she was crying. "I'm so sorry; that was completely uncalled for." She whispered softly as Anashi hesitantly returned the hug.

"I-I don't like him – I don't," the brunette sobbed, though the denial was evident in the quiver of her voice.

"Anashi, there's nothing wrong with liking him," she reasoned, knowing well that this was her friend's first crush.

"I don't like him," Anashi repeated, struggling to sound convincing.

"Okay," Kotomi murmured, choosing to take a different approach, "but ask yourself this … Would you take the opportunity to know him better in_ that_ way, if you could?"

Upon hearing that, Anashi suddenly fell silent, unable to answer. Would she? It was a serious question – if the possibility of needless teasing and persecution wouldn't ensue, would she? Was it really so wrong to be in love? Or at the very least to have a crush? Not that she knew much about either, as she had attended an all-girls high school. Her interactions with boys were quite _limited_, to say the least. This often meant she only saw them either in passing on the sidewalk, seated in stadiums, or the occasional customer at the B-Pit.

_But Hikoya wasn't a boy, exactly_ – he was a _man_, which only made her situation all the more awkward. Her seventeen year old mind could only imagine how that conversation would go over. It wasn't rocket science – her Dad would probably kill her, and it would only make things weird for the entire team. _Speaking of which …_

"But wouldn't it change things … for the team, I mean," Anashi murmured in response.

"Perhaps – he is our captain, after all. But if the two of you want this, then what does it matter? It would be _your_ love, just the two of you – no one else's. Thereby making it no one's business."

Coming up short on counteractive points, Anashi hung her head in defeat as she trailed a hand through her hair.

"So … now what?"

Kotomi frowned, clearly confused.

"What do I do about 'this?'" Anashi stressed. "How do I handle these feelings? What am I supposed to do?"

"… I guess that's up to you, but I think the best approach would be to take things one step at a time."

"So … what's the first step?" Anashi asked, while pulling down her sleeve a little to wipe at her eyes.

"Wait for him to return, and maybe set up a date or at the very least a casual meeting to discuss what you feel for him."

Anashi swallowed nervously – she was not going to be looking forward to that at all …

†††

Rubbing at his eyes, Kyoya slowly rose from his desk, exited his study and made his way to the kitchen. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by his old caretaker and family friend, Kaito. Kaito had served the family faithfully for many years – he had been with them since Kyoya was but a newborn, and he secretly hoped that he would be around for the foreseeable future and many years to come.

"Hey, Kaito," he murmured as he opened the fridge in search of beer.

"Good evening, Lord Tategami," the elderly man replied with an all-knowing smile. One Kyoya had always found to be curious, even as a boy. "I trust you had a good day at work."

"Tedious and uneventful," the legendary blader intoned quietly. "Kaito, have you seen Hikoya lately?"

"Master Hikoya is in the gym – your wife just went to check on him a while ago."

With a curt nod of his head, Kyoya twisted the cap from the bottle and took a small swig before making his way to the gym. When he got there, he saw that Hikaru was standing by the entrance, her arms wrapped around herself as she carefully observed their son. Coming up behind her, he allowed his arms to encircle her frame, drawing her close as they shared a brief kiss. As he had mentioned earlier, it had been a tedious and uneventful day at work – and Hikaru usually left much earlier than he did. It was nothing but a tension-filled afternoon, but her presence alone– the ability to hold her close and share a small reaffirming moment made it better. More bearable, he supposed.

"You taste like beer," Hikaru remarked softly as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

Kyoya merely offered a small shrug in response as his gaze zeroed in on Hikoya. The violet-eyed male was currently immersed in an intense workout session, preoccupying himself with the lat pulldown.

"How long has he been at this?"

"Twenty minutes," Hikaru replied with a sigh, "and that's following an endurance run."

"Christ …" Kyoya murmured as he released his hold on Hikaru and made his way forward. Without so much as a second glance to the audio system, he quickly disabled it, causing Hikoya to pause. When he made no attempt to speak, Kyoya's eyes narrowed into a pair of slits. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Training," Hikoya answered at length.

"Really? Because from where I stand, it looks like you're trying to take yourself to the brink of exhaustion and death, itself."

Upon saying those words, Kyoya didn't miss the way Hikoya's eyes flashed with restricted emotion, as though trying to bite back a sharp remark.

"There is no need for your concern."

"Ridiculous," Kyoya hissed as Hikoya slowly rose to his feet and reached for a white towel that had been suspended from the bench-press. Without a word, he drew it across his shoulders, draping it along the back of his neck as he made his way to the exit. As he approached, Hikaru placed a hand against his chest, effectively halting him.

"We just want you to be safe," she murmured while directly meeting his gaze with a softer, maternal one. Having nothing else to say, she stood a little taller as he lowered his head, receiving a brief kiss upon his cheek.

"Goodnight, Mom …"

"Night, baby," she replied, earning a strange look from Kyoya. Once Hikoya was out of earshot, she turned her attention towards him, "Now what?"

"You're far too lenient with that child."

"He's going to be twenty in a few weeks, Kyoya – he's hardly a child."

"He's _our_ child," Kyoya growled softly as he looked towards the doorway just as the last strand of silky blue rounded the corner and disappeared.

"I know that," Hikaru responded while entering Kyoya's embrace, "but he's also a _man_. You can't change that – don't you remember what you were like when you were his age, if not younger?"

"I was different," he insisted. Kyoya had lost his parents when he was just a boy – brandishing the scars that would forever haunt him in more ways than one; he had gotten separated from his little brother through the means of that wretched system, causing their relationship to deteriorate. He never had a stable home while growing up – moving from one place to the next with several families (most of which seemed worst than the last) – he had run away soon after, heading for Yokohama where he met the Face Hunters … and the rest was history.

"Were you …?" She whispered gently against his neck. "Misunderstood … an introvert … independent … an overachiever … I don't think you're that different."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Kyoya stressed, attempting to supress the urge to groan when Hikaru's lips ghosted over his collar bone. "I can't just sit back while he throws himself through the wringer – I'm his father."

"Let him live, Kyoya – he's not a baby anymore, and he'll make the right decisions for himself."

Taking a step back, Hikaru took hold of her husband's hand, leading him upstairs to their wing of the house to retire for the evening. As they got closer, she noted how Kyoya casted a lone glance down the hall – Hikoya's chambers. He looked as though he wanted to knock on the door – perhaps to lecture their son – but thought better of it and followed after her.

Allowing her to push him down on their bed, Kyoya was barely conscious of his tight grip on her waist, as his mind was elsewhere. _Was she right? Was I being too overprotective?_ He had no idea as he lost and found himself with her. It was an interesting effect she had on others … One that their son exhibited.

†††

Fresh from the shower, Hikoya got dressed and securely locked his bedroom door. Then making his way to the window he tested it with his hands, doing his best to avoid creating a disturbance. Casting a single glance back, he eyed his door – this had to be done, he reasoned. There was no other way – he had exhausted every other option that didn't include death or locking himself in an asylum.

_I still wish someone would stop me, though …_

He heard the sardonic rumble of the beast's laughter – the way _their_ blood coursed and flowed within his veins as the two began to merge, knowing that he had to leave.

Just a few … A handful of bladers – lowlifes, delinquents, criminals – he didn't care. Just enough to satiate the beast. Enough so that it would be safe when he returned.

_That is right; I do not want to frighten my sacrificial Flame …_

_Do __**not**__ speak of her. _The thought was final and deafening, like the edge of a blade, piercing an icy surface. It was cold, and easily cut across the beast's inner rambling. However, slowly but surely, that blade's edge was beginning to wear down. Hikoya wasn't nearly as young as he once was – his body was stronger, capable of doing things he never could have envisioned several years ago, but his resolve was beginning to deteriorate … his mind at a tether's end. Soon the reigns he held ever so tightly would be ripped from his grasp altogether, and the beast would take its revenge while creating a bloody path in its wake.

With a shake of his head, Hikoya easily vaulted over the high rise of the house and disappeared into the night. When he returned just a little before dawn, everyone was still fast asleep and with no one the wiser.

†††

Anashi nervously paced back and forth, her thumb gently running over Fireblaze's facebolt. Nestled safely in the recesses of her mind, Fireblaze's altruistic nature shone through in a series of comforting notes, akin to music.

_Stop fretting, child. It does the mind and body no good._

She knew that, but that didn't mean it was easy to settle down. Despite the fiasco between herself and Miyako a few days ago, the team had been training consistently in preparation for their upcoming round in the World Championships. Now the time was upon them. Rika had said that it should be fairly easy for them to move on, and proceed to the next, but Anashi wasn't so sure. And despite the lack of protest from Miyako, she knew the silver-haired girl felt the same way. It all led back to one person – Hikoya. There was simply something about his large frame, brooding in a corner with his arms folded and eyes keenly aware that provided a sense of comfort – a source they could reliably draw strength from. For one thing, he had valuable experience, and for another if things shifted from 'bad' to 'worse,' then at least they would have a form of back-up.

As things proceeded, Anashi's worry began to simmer down, but only mildly. Like Rika had predicted, they had won – some effort had been exuded– needed to win, but nothing nearly as problematic as their encounter with the Australian team. As things concluded and Team Japan was declared the victor, she felt her gaze lift. It felt like someone or something was watching her, causing her to stand a little straighter, a little taller as though she were being examined. But just as quickly as the feeling arrived, it disappeared and all of the unease it had brought with it.

†††

As the girls returned to the hotel that evening, Miyako couldn't help but boast about how wonderfully executed her match had been. Not one wasted movement or thought, flawless execution, and style to pull it off, just as her father would've during his days as a blader. Tsubasa's fighting style had always been commented as having the likeness and grace of a dancer, so it was only logical that his daughter shared some of those qualities. It made her heart expand with pride, so much so that she was unaware of the night's dangers. As the hotel wasn't a far distance from the stadium, they had opted to walk there earlier, and it would've taken only-God-knows-how-long to hail a cab, so they chose to return just as they had come. It made sense and cut down on some of their expenses, so they were all in agreement as they made their way back.

However, even the most ordinary of city blocks concealed dangers of their own. As the group neared the hotel, Miyako fell to the back whilst trying not to get hit by oncoming pedestrians who were either in a hurry to get home or attend some sort of pressing extracurricular activity. However, in her attempt to avoid an unsolicited collision of sorts, she got separated from the others. Before she could completely process what was happening, she was unceremoniously shouldered into a dark alley. She couldn't make out who or what had done it as a grimy hand was clamped firmly across her mouth and another held her arm tightly against her back, causing her to panic. When another set of hands appeared from somewhere in the shadows, attempting to grope at her chest, she shrieked as the shrill cry of a cat sounded from somewhere off to her side – the back of the blind alley.

For a moment – one so brief that it didn't even feel like any measure of time – Miyako managed to break out of her manic trance, and locked eyes with the creature. It was large with a scarred muzzle and midnight fur, resting atop an empty dumpster lid. It looked like a Maine Coon, with hellish purple eyes and silky fur with a defined tail that was swinging back and forth like a snake. It fixed her with a sagacious glare as it raised its left paw and extended a set of razor sharp claws, allowing the light of the moon to catch the thin crescents.

When one of the fiends reached for the zipper of her toreador pants, the cat created a demoniacal rumble from within its chest, causing him to pause.

"**What? Yo' wanna watch, pussycat?**" The man sneered as he produced a pocketknife from the confines of his coat.

With no more than a twitch of its whiskers, the hellish feline launched forward, and with one swipe of its claws the man was blinded forever. The cat had made short work of him, opting to rake its claws across his eyes, leaving him to cry out in agony as he stumbled about aimlessly. Seeming to sense that he was next, his partner quickly relented his hold on Miyako, but in his haste to flee he tripped, crashing into the pavement with all the elegance of a sloth. Swiping absentmindedly at his now bleeding forehead, and uneasy with trepidation, he felt dread, itself, encompass him as the cat took measured, languid steps.

"**Uwah … I-I can't move!**" He shrieked as the cat slowly prowled forward and rested atop his chest, its tail curled neatly around its paws. Miyako had heard of the Cheshire Cat, but this demonic brute looked downright delirious, it's eyes glinting with sadistic glee despite the grim line of its mouth. Raising a paw to its muzzle, it began to lick its fur, as though impatient and waiting for Miyako to leave. Seeming to key in, she staggered to the open streets, allowing herself to be bathed in the light of the streetlamp above. Breathing a sigh of relief, she examined her attire – she definitely looked like she had just been involved in a scuffle of sorts, but what concerned her the most was the state of her attackers. Daring to glance back, she felt a silent scream rise to the edge of her lips.

The hellish creature had extended its claws once more and was slowly slicing open the second man's throat as he was still paralyzed with fear. However, it didn't stop there … Torturously slow, the cat leaned closer to the man's exposed neck, sniffing with a seemingly calculated indifference. When the creature raised its head, a soft, strangled cry was wrenched from the man's mouth, his eyes glazed over with frozen tears. Dangling from the black cat's jaws was a small mass of flesh, bloody and raw like a piece of beef.

_It's eating him alive!_ Miyako internally screamed when she felt the bile rise in the back of her throat. With little to no warning, she felt the contents of her stomach dribble past her lips as she lunged for the nearest trashcan. As she retched, tears stung her eyes, leaving them glassy and wide with fear as she heard the terrified screams of her assailants. Without a second thought, she crashed through the massive sea of people, fighting against the unrelenting current as she bolted for the hotel.

Upon her arrival, she saw her friends exiting an alcove of sorts, delight evident on their faces as Rika carried a massive teddy bear – a prize from the arcade.

"Oh, there you are!" Rika exclaimed, "We were wondering where you had taken off to, and we figured you were just– what on Earth happened to you?!"

Miyako couldn't bring herself to speak, and she had no idea how to even convey what had just occurred in the blind alley.

Seeing that they were getting nowhere, the girls led her upstairs to their shared room. Upon entry, Miyako felt the colour drain from her face – seated comfortably on the sofa was their captain, immersed in the pages of a book. When his gaze lifted, Miyako was met by the same hellish violet eyes from the alley. An ocean of stars swam before her eyes as her world was overshadowed and she fainted in the doorway.

_Hikoya,_ was her final thought as her mind faded to the darkened abyss.

†††

When Miyako finally awoke, it was to the sound of the television as a reporter held out her microphone to a local police officer. It took a moment, but when Miyako realized what was being said, she drew herself deeper into the cushions of the couch. Two repeated sex offenders had been murdered, but as the gist of their rap sheets were read, Miyako distanced herself from her surroundings as her mind replayed the night's events. Lost within her own thoughts, she barely registered the sound of the shower turning off, and the sharp intake of breath on behalf of her brunette friend which followed only moments later. With steps of measured grace, long and precise strides, Hikoya emerged from the bathroom, with a towel wrapped securely around his waist while another was draped across his massive shoulders.

He made no attempt to speak, and Miyako wasn't sure that she wanted him to as he rummaged through his bag for a clean change of clothes. As he did so, she noted that some of his knuckles were slightly red (perhaps from excessive use of a punching bag), though reminiscent of bloodied claws … Just like the black cat. When a visible shudder crossed her shoulders, both Hikoya and Anashi stilled.

"Are you okay, Miyako? You're shaking," Anashi inquired softly as she reached for a blanket to cover her friend.

Miyako didn't answer right away; she was still shaken from earlier … and she remembered the fuming mass of fuchsia that was Kotomi who had chewed her out for laughing at Anashi's feelings in the restaurant.

"Any light-headedness?" A ghost-like voice rumbled, causing the Eagle wielder to flinch.

"Uh, no – I'm okay," she said, the words sounding wrong even to her own ears, and from the look on Hikoya's face she could tell that he had identified the blatant lie.

†††

As the night progressed, Miyako found that she was unable to sleep. Her mind continuously dragged her back to that wretched alley and those glinting heliotrope eyes. Slowly shifting herself into a sitting position, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, absentmindedly scratching at her arm. Everyone looked peaceful, or as peaceful as their demeanors would permit … Kotomi slept like a log with a relaxed but indifferent expression upon her normally cheerful face … The corners of Rika's mouth naturally turned down, her pink lips capturing a small pout as though she was deep in thought even in her dreams … And Anashi's resting face melted away to reveal a warm smile and a faint, dusky blush that was noticeable even in the darkness of their shared room. _At least someone's having a good dream,_ Miyako thought irritably; there was no doubt in her mind now that the object of the brunette's dreams was the man resting in the adjacent room. _Speaking of which …_

Carefully rising to her feet in an attempt to not create a disturbance, she quietly exited the room and her eyes with a magnetic tendency were drawn to the sofa. She had expected to see Hikoya's sleeping form, but much to her surprise no one was there. It was unnerving, as she hadn't even heard the opening or closing of the door. _Where is he,_ she pondered inwardly until her eyes landed on the sliding door of the balcony.

Hesitantly, she peered through the pane of glass, and sure enough she was met by a pair of unsettling violet eyes. For a moment, she thought of approaching him – to confront him. She wasn't sure how he had done it, or who was involved, but she knew that he was aware of the events that took place in that alley (if not directly involved). The similarities were there, and Miyako had never been one to ignore the foreboding presence of the supernatural or her gut instincts. However, something stopped her … Maybe it was the distant, forlorn look in his eyes like that of a sentinel, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Regardless of the cause, she withdrew from her venture as the moonlight overhead was reflected in his eyes, seeming to ignite a brilliant flame within the orchid hues of his gaze.

_Tyger Tyger burning bright_

_In the forests of the night:_

_What immortal hand or eye,_

_Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?_

* * *

**Review Responses**

**hi (Apr. 9th) - Chapter 9: **Hey; sorry for taking so long to respond. Regarding your last review, I really appreciate your feedback, and I'm glad that you like the periodic chapters. (They're pretty interesting to construct and write about, and I try to adhere closely to the original content and characters while giving myself enough room to enhance them in terms of their personality or stories.)

P.S. - Your English is fine, especially since it isn't your native language.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**

**Canon characters, material and content (c) Takafumi Adachi**

**Original characters, material and content (c) KYL-T7**

* * *

Graced by the warmth of the Myanmarese sun, Anashi lazily stretched her limbs, awakening with a slight smile on her face. As they had successfully secured their place in the World Championships with some time to spare, the girls had asked if they could go sight-seeing and Hikoya had reluctantly agreed. And thus, they prepared themselves for the day ahead, all somewhat eager to see what the country had to offer. Perhaps one of the ancient temples, or a luxurious pagoda, Anashi thought as she exited the bathroom and chose her outfit for the day. Settling for a chic skater skirt, paired with a shell top and a set of nude pumps, Anashi pursed her lips as she applied a thin coat of coral-tinted gloss. Taking a final look at herself in the mirror, she smiled – she hoped that she looked good enough to impress Hikoya …

Blushing, she shook her head to rid herself of the thought as she secured her purse and made her way to the door where the others were waiting.

†††

The girls stared in awe at the expanse of temples; all stood erect, glinting in the dying sunlight as an avian song carelessly glided upon the breeze. Allowing her smile to deepen, Anashi took in the beautiful environment, and was almost sad that they would be leaving the country in a few short days. It almost brought her to tears – until the World Championships, she had been sheltered from the wonders of the world, never quite comprehending just how much it had to offer. For seventeen years, all she had ever known were the glass skyscrapers and metal girders of her small industrial city by the ocean … Now, it blurred in comparison to the rose-washed sky overhead, accentuating the golden warmth of the valley's temples.

Almost completely lost in her thoughts, she jumped a little as the bus they'd boarded bumped over a dip in the dirt-laden road causing her leg to brush against Hikoya's. Blushing, she stole a glance upwards, taking in his relaxed countenance. He appeared to be asleep, as his head was slightly bowed with his bangs obscuring half of his face. It was for the best she supposed – following her heart-to-heart with Kotomi, she had tried to work up the courage to ask Hikoya out on a date, but every time she thought she had secured an idea she second-guessed herself. Would he like it? What if he thought it was lame, or simply didn't like her? What if he already had a girlfriend …? Consumed by her anxious thoughts, she barely registered the small sound of displeasure that crossed her lips, causing Hikoya to stir. Lifting his head, his orchid-hued eyes focused upon her, his gaze soft and content. It was far from a pleasant smile … but it wasn't his disgruntled default expression either. For a moment, she felt hopeful as her inhibitions melted away, allowing a warm feeling to settle in her abdomen; under his stare she felt both important and vulnerable, thinking that she would love to gaze into his eyes forever … Fawn into Heaven.

"**All right, everybody – time for the tour to begin.**"

And just like that, the spell was broken as the passengers exited the bus to explore the valley grounds.

The land being lush and fertile, carried the scent of the evening and the lingering heat of the day. It was like venturing deeper into a botanical garden, illuminated by the horizon's bleeding sun and a languid parade of glittering fireflies. Like something out of a dream, Anashi couldn't suppress the smile that graced her lips as she stumbled about, trying to take in everything all at once. It looked like her version of paradise as the tour guide led them further into the valley's undergrowth, only to conclude their journey as the group neared a restaurant at the base of the sloping knolls.

Upon entry, a large variety of scents greeted the group as each party was seated at a separate table. After a few minutes, a tray was rolled out with an interesting assortment of food, including some savoury mohinga; rice accented with shredded coconut; light dosa served with potato masala; gyin thohk paired with greens, topped by a dash of curry; and a serving of Shan noodles garnished with an arrangement of sliced chicken, diced cherry tomatoes, a conservative amount of broth and a side of chickpea tofu.

It was an _ample_ amount of food, enough so that everyone could try a little of each dish if they so desired – which Rika did without hesitation, as she was never one to shy away from tempting culinary creations. As for Kotomi and Miyako, both chose simpler dishes for themselves – while the Taurus wielder opted for potato masala, rice and dosa, her silver-haired friend chose the gyin thohk paired with some tofu … Which finally brought the team's attention to Anashi and Hikoya, who had yet to touch anything apart from the tea that had been served earlier.

After some thought, the brunette chose to fix herself a small bowl of mohinga, thinking that it looked appetizing enough to give it a try with some dosa. As far as Hikoya was concerned, however, food was merely sustenance, and settled for a plate of Shan noodles with a small side of rice. While the others engaged in small talk, laughing and chatting over the progression of their meal, he reached for his chopsticks and ate in silence. The meal was pleasant, and as usual Hikoya contributed nothing to the conversation, causing Anashi to worry. Was he not feeling well, or simply deep in thought? Mustering up as much courage as she possibly could with her crush only seated mere inches away from her, she slowed her movements and turned to face him.

Sensing the change, his gaze met hers – expectant and challenging.

"How do you like the food?"

"… It's decent," came the reply, somewhat murmured but clipped by his stone-like baritone.

"The mohinga's delicious – you should try some," she beamed, whilst nodding towards the bowl.

He grunted with indifference; for a typical breakfast meal, it had its perks, but he wasn't interested as he picked at his food.

Grasping for straws at this point, as it wasn't exactly easy to approach Hikoya even on a good day, Anashi decided to propose a different question. "When did you get to Myanmar?"

For a moment, he hesitated, but managed to cover it by exhaling softly as though annoyed with the probing questions. "If you must know, Hagane, a little after four."

Thinking back, realizing that would've been right around the time the final match was being dealt with, she frowned. "Why didn't you come to see us sooner?"

Now it was Hikoya's turn to frown. There would've been no point: for one thing, the team's place had practically been secured in the international circuit as the tournament had concluded, and for another the girls had seemed to be doing just fine on their own. Almost to the point where he reassessed his presence within the international circuit. Even if he left, TC would continue to fund the Japanese team, covering their expenses, meals, leisurely fees and ventures.

"What difference would it have made," he grunted, his words framed with a caustic tone.

Anashi became quiet – stunned into silence. And given what Kotomi had determined only days before, it wasn't hard to understand why: the brunette had a crush on the violet-eyed captain. If she answered honestly, from her heart, she'd reveal her secret – a secret she wasn't certain she was ready to share with him yet.

"We, uh … we still could've used your support; we're a team, aren't we …?"

No one at the table really believed that, but none had the heart to tell their youngest member.

"We'll see, Hagane …"

†††

The ride back was quiet, with many of the bus's passengers dozing or simply admiring the nocturnal scenery … one of whom was Anashi. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the celestial bodies looked so different from this new perspective – they were harder to spot, and instead of constellations framed intricately in the heavens, she could only see a glittering ocean of stars overhead, twinkling and distant far beyond the canopy, sloping ravines and exalted mountaintops. Smiling, she closed her eyes, resting her head against the firm material of the seat, drifting off into the land of sleep.

Little did she know it was not, in fact, the seat her head was resting against, but rather Hikoya's side.

He was not thrilled that she was touching him – her head resting against his bicep – but he, too, was exhausted, and chose to think nothing of it as she unknowingly snuggled closer for warmth. It was not appreciated – the idea of Gingka Hagane's precious baby girl curling up by his side was almost enough to earn a condescending rumble of laughter. _Almost …_ The mockery was scathing. The pegasus and the lion were not friends, but rivals. Just like himself and the slumbering phoenix. Prey before predator. It was strangely ironic, though – on its own, the phoenix represented yang, however, when paired with one such as himself it represented yin. Together, they were the ultimate & eternal symbols of binding love and marital joy. Forbidden and yet so right in contrast …

It caused nothing but turmoil, as the beast within longed for something more, while the man on the front line could not afford to surrender his control. It was a miserable situation, one Hikoya had been painfully aware of … Exhaling softly, he killed his train of thought and focused his eyes on the night sky overhead. Within moments he located Polaris, and, then, just off to its side the beginnings of Draco. His heavenly body – formed from the stars, themselves – hung in the silver galaxy, gazing upon the shadows of the world. It caused the violet-eyed male's chest to constrict with unsolicited emotions as he felt himself recede to the land of sleep.

_**Twenty-Eight Years Ago …**_

_Where am I … Hunger ebbs away at my flanks and the world seems too bright. Defeated? Is this the feeling? Last time I felt like this … Villagers … Koma villagers imprisoned me for the actions of my previous blader. The universe is quiet in this moment … and capricious, so it could have happened – defeat. The ground feels cold, and realization dawns. Not satisfied. Not yet. Had I amassed the supremacy I sought – transformed into my own being, ridding myself of this wretched confinement – then I would be sated. Freed of this wretched beyblade. But even so, I do not protest as my blader crouches, reaching for me. Encompassed by warmth, I realize that despite all that has transpired there is nowhere else in the universe I would rather be. No human that I trust more. Yes, he had made mistakes – as have I … Mistakes that resulted in my exile. I will not abandon him. We will overcome this storm together._

_**A Few Weeks Later …**_

_I have regained some of my strength; things have improved as I stretch my limbs within my blader's mind. He appears to be considerably reserved compared to before; he has changed, I note, though I do not know how. He has reinforced his mental defenses. Unable to bypass them in my current condition, I wait in silence as we near his destination. The place of my nightmares, I conclude with a jerk, my vision struggling to intersect his. With his hood drawn, my blader makes his way up the mountainside, and a cold feeling settles within my heart – foreign and almost alien-like. He cannot feel the tremor within my blood, but I can feel the irrevocability in his. He is about to do something that will change life, itself – my life, forever. My lungs are filled with ice. Not fire, yet they burn …_

_I am scared._

_The place of my eternal "rest." Picking through the ruins, my blader makes his way into the confines of this … perdition. The airs tastes of dust, darkness and sulfur – it makes me sick, but the boy seems to be oblivious to my discomfort. Hissing, I protectively curl my tail around myself, using my claws to secure my footing within his mind as he reaches for my blade. With one final grasp, he lays me in the darkness of the mountain and disappears. A deafening bang resounds in my ears as crumbling debris seals the entrance, stealing the sun from my gaze and everything becomes dark._

_It only takes a moment, but I quiver with realization. With hatred. He has abandoned us … Just like the others. I have become a tool once again for another undeserving human – around only when needed and discarded once my purpose has been served. I seethe with rage as the darkness engulfs me, burning within Mount Hagane like an electric pulse … An enraged heartbeat within the Mountain of "Steel." Like the bars of a prison cell, its confines lock me away from the rest of the world, returning me to my ancient burial ground. The grave – the crypt of the Forbidden Bey._

_I roar into the shadows, the sound demoniacal, vowing bloodshed and promising annihilation. I despise captivity and darkness; I burn with bitter volcanic ferocity. I do not want a war; there is no worthy adversary among man as of this moment – extermination is what I lust for. My blader was my last chance, but now I see. I am no longer blind. Humans have only brought misery upon my existence … so it seems only fitting that one of their own shall be the instrument of their demise. When I am finished, my chosen vessel will be wrought with the hatred I harbour for humanity. Humanity will come to hate itself when they see what this individual will be capable of. What he will grow into. Then, and only then will I be able to make them understand, finally freeing myself of their world._

_All I need is a means into the world of the living – to take on a physical form … And I have three candidates to choose from. The eagle, the water bearer and the lion … I smile sadistically as I think of the time when I pierced the proud lion's chest – when he challenged my ex-blader to fight without the power I had ripped away from that girl. His beloved, no doubt. If they stay together, then that will further my chances of success … I could fuse my broken pieces to create something far more sustainable. I will have to sacrifice my own body, but I will be resurrected as one of them. Then my hunt will resume, and when I have regained the power I lost this world will never be the same again._

_My scales bristle with anticipation and my hackles tremor as I laugh into nothingness – an attempt to use twisted humour and the remnants of my wire-frayed mind to brace myself as my sense of being is painfully separated from my body. Soul ripped from corpse. The pain is white and blinding, hotter than any fire I have felt in battle or otherwise. My mind is torn to shreds – only my will is alive; a faint pulse that is nearly non-existent, journeying far in search of my vessel. I feel like broken shards of glass, lying numb against the pavement after being trampled on repeatedly. Broken. Unwanted. Fractured. Alone. As dust settles, and creatures with serpentine bodies and multiple legs skitter about, marring the sheen of my blade, my mind becomes remarkably clear for a moment … I wonder if this is what death is like … To be forgotten in the darkness of the Earth, silent beneath the feet of the living._

_No, I reason. Death would be peaceful – I would welcome it. But I have lost everything – they have taken everything from me. Even death … So I must live. And the only thing I will live for is the thought of fighting back and reclaiming what was once mine. My freedom …_

†††

Jolting awake, the white-haired male shook as he broke free from his dreams, emerging in a bout of cold sweat. As he took in his surroundings, he heard the cry of his child and reached for the boy, settling him against his chest. As the lachrymose baby wept softly into his chest, Ryuga bowed his head, nuzzling his son's hair. It was simply a dream, he reprimanded internally … and yet it had felt so real. He could practically feel it – the might of his Dragon, the heat of his rage.

"The Slumbering Pulse of Flame …" he muttered, his mind going back to the events on Zarkan Island. That's what the four-eyed brat had spoken of, the one who had teamed up with Anubius. It was quite fitting, he supposed, as he could feel the energy of his beast just like a pulse. Constant but obscured by everything else. Ever so vital but rarely thought of.

_That is a lie,_ his mind hissed. He _did_ think of his beast, more times than not, and often wondered if the creature would ever return. The one fashioned from his own soul – an extension of his power in its most appropriate form. The one who had been lost in the fight against Nemesis. The one born of him and not of the darkness of man. He remembered all too well what its electrocuting grasp had felt like – the bite of his first blade … found on the hallowed ground of Mount Hagane. The blade's spirit was malicious, and far more twisted than his own – pure evil – and he would never dare to partner with it again. However, the energy he had channeled from within himself and the cosmos was something far more. It was not good, nor it was it evil. It was simply power – just like fire. A sort of energy that could be used for anything, from heating cold hands to burning down a city. Power was power.

Ryuga smirked wryly to himself. It was true – he had lied to the likes of Tsubasa, Gingka, Hyoma, Kyoya and all the others. He had not been able to overcome the dark power – some things were never meant to be conquered, just as they were never meant to be created in the first place, he thought inwardly, his mind conjuring an image of the Creature from Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus." How had the ordinary humans referred to it? A toxic relationship – nothing good or substantial could ever come forth from it, so the only solution was to distance himself from it. To excise it like an infected organ – to put the beast back to rest where no one could disturb it ever again. But that was just it … The creature had not gone back to rest.

Instead, it had manifested by trying to break Tsubasa's psyche during the World Championships years ago. The process had nearly torn apart the human to unleash the monster within. It had resulted in seemingly schizophrenic episodes, causing the teenager, at the time, to lash out at his friends and allies. The more he had tried to fight it, the harder the Dragon had bit down, keeping his heart within a tight vise. Despite holding no affect toward the boy, Ryuga knew he could not turn a blind eye to the matter – not after that naïve guardian of Koma Village had tracked him down in the mountains, pleading Gingka's case. And so he, in turn, had hunted down Tsubasa, happening upon another reverse rotating blade at the time: Gravity Destroyer … A pathetic beyblade held by an equally pathetic person. Upon seeing Tsubasa for the first time since their last battle, Ryuga recalled having to stifle a twinge of guilt – this was his handiwork. Functioning and very much alive. Alive and angry. When he had seen the flash of red within Tsubasa's amber eyes, everything had been confirmed – the creature's presence within him and the bloodlust it harboured. But then the real issue reared its head – how to combat something that hungered for revenge. The answer was simple, granted he was not sure how feasible it had been at the time – to give in to the Dragon's will. To submit before the beast and offer no resistance. To confuse the creature with a false sense of security until he could overcome it.

Up to this day, he was not certain how Tsubasa had done it – as he refused to believe that it had anything to do with the blader's spirit or that friendship garbage Gingka professed as though it were the Gospel – but he had to commend him on his bravery. If _he_ had been unable to do it, then it puzzled him how someone of Tsubasa's calibre could succeed where he had failed …

Regardless of those events, he still wondered why he could feel the monster's presence, even now … He had always felt it, or at least something akin to it when he battled Kyoya – though he had always attributed such feelings to the little brat's acidic attitude, who had the emotional capacity of a rattlesnake. He suspected the boy had been like that since the day he was born, though he had heard rumors of a time when the alpine-haired male had worked for the Dark Nebula … The organization made him sound like a brutal fighter with raw power and skills – no refined sense of battling or conduct, but he had also heard rumors … Rumors of trauma and bodily harm, due to excessive training regimens and the events of Wolf Canyon … _Leave up to that psychopath, Doji._

Seeming to sense his father's a shift of behaviour, the tiny baby began to sniffle, his little mouth screwed tight in preparation for another series of pitiful wails, until Ryuga began to rock him back and forth, murmuring softly. Ryuga was never one for music or lullabies – detesting both quite heavily as a child, a teenager and an adult – but in spite of himself, he had always leaned a little toward poetry. How simple words and precise diction could encompass so much. The art of saying a lot while barely saying anything at all. And so he began to recite the first stanza of "Night," by William Blake.

"The sun descending in the west, the evening star does shine; the birds are silent in their nest. And I must seek mine. The moon, like a flower, in Heaven's high bower, with silent delight sits, and smiles on the night."

Gurgling with pearls of happy babbles, Addison began to calm down, his topaz eyes bright with puerile joy. And for the first time in a long while, Ryuga spared a smile. He would track down, confront and destroy the dark power … if not for himself, then for the sake of his child.

"Whatever am I going to do with you …?" He muttered, realizing that not only had the citing of the poem curbed his son's fear, it had also inspired a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed mentality. It would be almost another hour, give or take, before the infant resumed his slumbering state. _Great …_

†††

Kyoya scowled at the ceiling of his room, wondering why he was having such a particularly hard time falling asleep. It was half past midnight – he had a meeting in approximately eight hours, a rendezvous with some potential investors. He was not looking forward to it, seeing as TC was more than capable of handling its own finances and affairs, but Hikaru was the expert in that area – always claiming that it was beneficial to expand their network opportunities and commercial relations. The legendary blader held no particular interest in such matters, but he trusted his wife's judgement. She usually had more insight than he did regarding such topics, so he was perfectly content to let her take charge.

She would be the head of the meeting, anyway – he simply had to take a seat at the head of the table, nod or grunt with indifference when the occasion called for it, and throw in a periodic comment to demonstrate he was listening to the Americans. If all went well, then it would be on to a tedious photoshoot and interview for a prestigious magazine. It was always the same; it got boring after the first session or two: his success, men's health and tips in the bedroom, advice for young entrepreneurs, how to command one's presence within a business environment, negotiations, potential business ventures & future avenues for TC, where he predicted the industry would be in a few years time … But, alas, what could he say? Publicity was publicity, after all – "Cost-effective advertising and marketing," that's what Hikaru would say.

_No,_ he decided, it wasn't the meeting or interview that was preventing him from getting a few hours of rest. It was definitely something else, but he couldn't quite– his thoughts came to a halt when his gaze settled on the picture framed upon his nightstand. His kids … _Tithi, Hikoya and Kyaru …_ His smile almost became tangible as he reached for it, his eyes quite used to seeing in the dark. While Tithi was not of him, nor Hikaru, he had their spirit from when they, themselves, were children. Curious, joyful, adventurous … Things time & life had managed to change … Things that had been revealed once more in their son, the Legendary Blader of Venus. Then there was Hikoya & Kyaru, the twins – the carbon copies of his teenage self, with the latter bearing a wild streak that rivaled his. All were unique and interesting in their own right: Tithi had dedicated himself to his studies, using archeology as a means to reconnect with his roots, and prior to graduating Kyaru had always held a peculiar interest for the law, fostering her ability to pursue a career as a K-9 sergeant. _Imagine that,_ Kyoya chuckled; to think he had been nothing more than a rebellious punk at one point, only to father a proud K-9 police sergeant. As for Hikoya, who knew what the kid was thinking … He practically excelled at everything; every avenue was available to him but so far, he had chosen nothing for himself. Nothing seemed to interest him.

Kyoya's thoughts shifted once again when he felt Hikaru move in her sleep, her leg brushing against his as she unknowingly tugged the blanket closer. It was a funny habit she had – she never liked to sleep with her feet exposed, always preferring to have the blanket tucked securely around her body. Smirking, he set the photograph down, turning to pull her closer so that their chests were touching. She immediately snuggled into the warmth of his body, content and without a care in the world. _Not that she has a reason to worry,_ Kyoya reasoned internally. She had a devoted husband, three gorgeous, loving children, a loyal corporate empire, friends to spare from the days of her youth, unparalleled beauty that was complimented by her wisdom, great insight … She had everything.

Leaning down, Kyoya lightly kissed her hair, taking her soft, floral scent. There were aquatic notes, reminiscent of the ocean, accented by something clean and crisp like laundry fresh from the dryer. It was the best smell in the world, he determined as he held her close, thinking back to all of their crazy adventures when they were teenagers. They had overcome so much together … as rivals. As friends. As competitors. As a couple. As husband and wife. As parents. As a family. Feeling considerably drowsier – though, he attributed the feeling to nostalgia – Kyoya closed his eyes, his mind still encompassed by the thought of his wife and children.

†††

Slipping her arms into the confines of her sweater, Rika turned to perform a cursory scan of the room; seated upon the sofa, with a computer perched on his lap, was Hikoya. A binder was opened by his side – displaying a series of numbers and information. It looked boring, so she assumed it was some sort of accounting exercise related to his studies, although … it was rare to see him ever using a piece of technology, so her interest was definitely peaked. They were getting ready to head out for the day, partially to sightsee and to do a little shopping; given the events of the day before, she was sure that they had been making progress as a group. Now, Hikoya was back to his _normal_ ascetic self. As she had previously noted, the guy was locked up tighter than Fort Knox.

"Yo, Tategami, you gonna come with us or what?"

Hikoya's eyes opened into feline slits, shifting so that he could see her sideways. The look had a peculiarly odd effect, causing his eyes to glitter, and Rika suddenly regretted having said anything at all. Hikoya shook his head once, claiming he had work to do. Not wishing to disturb him further or prolong the odd interaction, Rika offered a tight nod of her head before slipping into a pair of sneakers and darting out of the suite with the rest of her friends.

Once they had departed, Hikoya visibly relaxed, permitting his gaze to drop by a small degree. As the team's commander – and arguably as the manager, since Rika still lacked the experience – it was his job to coordinate where the girls would sleep, dine, train and which tournaments they would register for. Unlike the previous World Championships, in which teams moved up through the 'A' and 'B' blocks, the new managers were responsible for determining their rank in the international circuit, based on their ratio of wins, losses and draws. Their rank would determine which teams they could fight, even if said opponents were on the other side of the world. This was why communication was key; the initial matches had been determined by the WBBA, as no team had a rank at that point … But now, a challenge could be offered from one team to another, and once accepted a stadium would have to be booked for their match.

In a few weeks time, the official rankings and "cut-offs" would be displayed worldwide for all to see, which was why they had to move as quickly as time and travelling accommodations would permit. Those who were performing poorly would have their rank reduced, be cut from the circuit altogether, or disqualified for the lack of an appropriate battle history. (After all, it was not fair to receive an advancement for a previous victory streak that could have broken had they competed.) The circuit had been organized this way to give those who had initially lost a chance to redeem themselves without having to hold a wildcard competition, given how many stadiums had been booked. After all, some early losses could easily be attributed to flukes, rather than actual skill and focus.

So far, the girls were at the back of the pack, having only competed in the Japanese qualifying rounds to form the team, and their victory against the Australians. It was not adequate, Hikoya reasoned. Their rank had to increase so they could challenge stronger opponents. The process would be repeated multiple times until the assigned deadlines; eventually, the remaining teams would square off until only two teams remained, perhaps some time in the winter or spring, depending on how quickly things progressed. The winners would be the new World Champions, while the losers would join the rest in obscurity.

_Hence, my current actions,_ Hikoya thought inwardly as he began to calculate the team's ratio. _Level 3._ Typing the code into the upper righthand corner, he waited as the computer processed the results, revealing four teams to choose from: Germany, Spain, Qatar and imaginatively enough Belarus. Scrolling through each team's battle history, he noted that Qatar had already made it through their first round – they were ready for another fight. Finding the team's e-mail address at the bottom of the screen, he quickly issued a message to organize a match, so long as they could book a stadium in advance. Within minutes he received a response – they would be ready.

Smirking, he closed the window, and opened a new tab. The last thing he had to do was select a one-way flight to Doha, Qatar, and purchase five tickets. If things went his way, they would be leaving tonight.

†††

When the girls finally returned, everyone seemed to be a lighter mood. Even Miyako. Since everyone was in such high spirits, they determined that they would go to a restaurant situated in the plaza a block away, thinking it would nice to ask their captain to join them. Especially since he rarely chose to dine with the team. However, upon their return, they were surprised to find that Hikoya was no longer at the hotel, but rather a neat arrangement of culinary art in his stead and a note, explaining his absence. Apparently, he had taken the liberty of making dinner for them, while he made a trip to the airport. From what they understood, they would be heading off to Doha, Qatar in a few hours; he would not be back until some time after 11:00P.M., claiming that he had some "errands" to take care of before he came back to get them – at which point he expected them to be packed and ready to leave.

Propping a hand on her hip, Miyako slowly circled the coffee table, displaying the food and cutlery. On one end there was a pitcher of water with some glasses, and on the other there were five identical dishes. Maple-ginger garlic glazed salmon topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, served with Jasmine rice and a medley of stir-fried vegetables. It looked good. _Way too good,_ Miyako thought inwardly as she eyed the small kitchenette and the discarded grocery bags in the trash bin.

"You think he poisoned it?" She asked, not willing to trust Hikoya's culinary skills. Sure, the food was beyond presentable, but if he was actually the one who had cooked and prepared the meal, surely it would be easy enough to slip something questionable into its contents.

Rika, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and immediately grabbed a throw pillow settling herself on the floor, reaching for a fork.

"Who cares," she chirruped, inhaling the inviting smell of the food. "He battles - check, seems relatively intelligent - check, and he can cook \- CHECK! I'm telling you, if ladies keep wasting their time window-shopping, I'm gonna snatch him right up!"

Anashi immediately blanched, feeling her stomach clench, and Rika seemed to key in on her mistake.

"Hehe … Just teasing! We all know he's yours, mama," she exclaimed, trying to backpedal as she stuffed some food in her mouth to prevent herself from speaking further. _More like stuff my foot in my mouth,_ she thought bitterly.

Unsure of what to do, Anashi simply settled herself next to Kotomi, and began to dig in. She did not want to come across as a whiny drama queen – she and Hikoya weren't together; he wasn't hers to claim – it was as simple as that. So in a way, Rika was right – if she continued to fool around, and didn't step up to him like a woman, it was only a matter of time before he became the object of affection for someone else. Opting to use a pair of chopsticks, she picked at the bite-sized pieces of salmon, her mouth practically singing with the flavours, as sweet notes of maple danced across her tongue. It was like a bite-sized piece of Heaven, and she absolutely loved it.

"Tastes amazing and seemingly not poisoned, huh?" Kotomi chimed in when she saw that Miyako had already decided to join them, her expression portraying pleasant surprise. Setting her food down, the silver-haired girl immediately dabbed at her mouth with a napkin and schooled her face back into its normally neutral expression. "Suit yourself."

When they finally finished dining, the group gathered around the television and began to pack. For a while, things were going smoothly, between light jabs and snippets of meaningless gossip and girl talk, until Miyako got the brilliant idea to start an altered version of a pillow fight. (Though, the actual pillows were discarded in exchange for articles of clothing.) It wasn't practical, Anashi decided as she continued to pack; she was almost done, so it made no sense to practically undo her work for the sake of–

A sharply thrown article of clothing whizzed through the air, instantly causing her to still when a pair of jeans landed on her head. It was far too tempting.

"Oh, you're asking for it, Miyako," she shrieked with delight, grabbing two random pieces of clothing from her suitcase to aim at her friend, a blur of coral and peony pink.

"Ha! You missed m– what?" The silver-haired girl suddenly started as she dodged the T-shirt, keying in on the horrified expressions donned by Kotomi and Rika. Turning around slowly, she came face-to-face with Hikoya, who was standing ominously in the doorway. Suspended from a spiky strand of his hair was something pink and lacy … Slowly, he reached for the offending article of lingerie, untangling it from his hair with the very tips of his fingers, before holding it out at arms length and dropping it to the ground. When his gaze lifted, Anashi swore she felt her blood run cold. Hikoya looked like he was ready to murder someone, and (given whose underwear had been thrown carelessly at him) she had no doubt that she was his target.

The girls instantly spared a moment to look at each other. _Uh oh …_


End file.
